The sun., 1897-10-10
THURSTON ON ANNEXATION
THE EI-MINISTER WRITES A NOOK
IBOUT HdHlTL

DOrin a. Thurston, cN Minister from HaWhh,
has issued in pamphlet form u F" Handbook on
the Annexation Of Hawaii The book contains
eighty.eight pages and 1t consists Of a statement
OF the reasons in favor of annexation; a brief
description OF Hawaii. Its people. government,
laws, commerce, finances, educational system,
and resources; an enumeration Of twenty objec-
tions that have been made to annexation and
reply to each: digest OF the opinions OF Amer.
lean Presidents, Secretaries Of State Ministers,
and military and naval officers; and of the acts
OF Congress and of Hawaii concerning Amer can
control or annexation of Hawaii; copies Of the
messages and reports accompanying the nn.
nexRtion treaties of 1898 and 1897 and copies
Of the three treaties OF annexation OF Hawaii
negotiated In 1854. 1893. and 1897: of tho
reciprocity treaty OF 1875 and OF the " Pearl
Harbor treaty" of 1887. There are also four
maps showing ~ the area in the Pacific within
which Hawaii Is the only supply station; (9) tho
same area transposcd to the Atlantic side; t3)
q detail map of the eight largest Hawaiian
islands; tD map Of the Pacific showing the
relative position OF Hawaii TO, and the distance
from. the principal naval stations and ports
A summary of the reasons given for and
against annexation Is as follows:
For two generations the attitude Of the United
States toward Hawaii has been moro that Of q
brother toward a little sister than the usual
formal treatment accorded other nations.
The reasons given for that are:
Hawaiian ChristianiZation, civilization, com.
merce education, and development are the di.
rect product of American effort.
Hawaii is, in every element and quality which
enters into tho composition of a modern civil.
izod community. child of America.
Hawaii is the one American Colony" beyond
the borders Of the Union.
Honolulu is the one foreign port in the world
~ aznt -,
than all other flags combined.
Out of all this has grown sentme n tai feeling
toward Hawaii, which does not measure its re.
gard in dollars, combined with a recognition Of
the strategic value of Hawaii, and the deter
mination that 1t should not pass under the con-
troll of any other foreign people, resulting in q
settled policy of exclusion Of other powers and
ultimate annexation.
Five reasons in favor Of annexation are
enumerated, viz:
1t will prevent the establishment Of an alien
and possibly hostile stronghold in a position
commanding the Pacific coast and the commerce
OF the North Pacific, and definitely and finally
secure to the United States the strategcal con.
troll Of the North Pacific, thereby protecting its
Pacific coast and commerce from attack.
The conditions are such that the United States
must act now to preserve the results Of its past
policy and to prevent the dominancy in Hawaii
of q foreign people.
1t will increase many fold and secure to tho
United States the commerce Of the islands.
1t will greatly increase and secure to tho
United States the shipping business Of the
islands.
1t will remove Hawaii from international
politics. and tend to promote peace in the Pacific
by eliminating an otherwise certain source Of
International friction.
In support of the first reason given here for
annexation Mr.. Thurston points to the fact that
all the great powers Of Europe have coaline
stations within steaning distance of our At
lantc coast, but that none Of them possesses
such station near enough to tho Pacific coast
to be available az bass of operations against it.
He also shows that, while there are scores of
islands in the Atlantic that can be used as bases
for naval supplies and repairs there is but ono
spot in the Pacific, from the equator to Alaska,
from Japan to tn American continent, namely
Hawaii, where coal. bread, and water can be OBJ
tained.
A country in possession Of Hawaii, Mr.. Thurs
ton says, would have q base OF supplies within
four or ave days steaming Of any part OF the
Pacific coast, and by simply keeping other na-
tions out OF it the United States will secure al.
most absolute immunity from naval attacks on
Its Pacific coast
In support of his second reason for annexa-
LION luuTSLOn ayers tnaJ IL Is no longer q
question whether Hawaii shall be controlled by
the native Hawaiian or by some foreign race,
but rather what foreign people shall control the
Islands, The time has como when the simple
announcement by the United States of it's pol
icy. combined with the control given by the
reciprocity treaty. is no longer sufficient to
make that policy effective or to retain the ad.
vantages already secured. The treaty, Mr..
Thurston points out. is termnable by either
party to 1t upon years notice, and that other
nations stand ready to avail themselves Of tn q
opportunity afforded is made apparent by
the fact that the English Government has at.
tempted. and is still working. to obtain the ces
sion or lease OF one Of the Hawaiian islands az
. cable station.
The awakening o. Japan. Mr. Thurston says
has introduced new element into the politics
of the Pacific. particular y in Hawaii. where the
Japanese number $4,000. During the fall Of
1896 and the spring of 1897 they came in al
Immigration had continue for a whole year the
Japanese would have numbered one.half Of the
whole population. Hawaii has ATTEMPTED tc
stay this invasion by legislation against pau
pers and contract laborers. but even II It IL
sucGSessful. immigrants who do not como conc
otthe inhabitants Of the country. At present
the Japanese arc moi, eligible TO citizenship. bn
warlike and progressive people, such as they are
cannot be kept from participating in tho gov
"neI lncs DccOlne dominant III mum
bers and in tine ownership of property. They
are already restless and 1t will be irnpossibl
for any local independent government 10 with
hold from them much longer. the privilege
which they demand as right. The controvers,
With japan is but the preliminary skirmsl
tho civilizations of the East and the West
atrugge which is to determine whether Asia o.
America shall have control OF the key OF thu
Pacific, the Hawaiian Islands All that is nov
holding Hawrii from TetrogradnH into al
Asiatic out post. Mr.. Thurston says. is a h 'pdfu
or resolute and determined men. to whom /
heip ID to come in time it must come soon
Nothing less than annexation he declares. will
settle the Issue and maintain American contro
In Hawaii.
In establishing the soundness of his third snc
fourth reasons for annexation Mr. ThurstOi
says that to-day Hawaii is the mainstay of th
American merchant marine engaged In deep
sea foreign trade In support OF this assertion
pc gives a table showing the number OF entrie
into American ports of American ships bount
from foreign countries during tho year endinl
June 20, 1896. by which 1t is demonstrated tha
while Hawaii furnished cargo Tor l9I American
vessels, all the world outside. exclusive Of h
20s American ships. All Europe. Asia Ausrru
lasia and Africa combined only furnishc,
freigh for lsO vessels.
AS the American tarH will har out almCa