The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
w..

Lieut.. Young deals fully with the history Of
the now notorious Blount in Investigation and the
preparation OF the resulting report. On this
subject he says: "No notice was given by Mr..
Blount to the Government OF what he was do
ing, nor was any request made to them to pre-
sent evidence or argument. He simply com
menced and carried through a secret and ex-
parte investigation, examining only those wit
nosses whom he selected, nearly all of whom
were avowed royalists. His method of exam
ination was TO put leading questions upon II
few points, either shutting off altogether or
manifesting by his manner that he did not wish
to listen to evidence on other points. 1t soon
became manifest that 1t was his purpose to OBJ
tain evidence in support OF q restoration of the
ex-Queen. and in support of the theory that the
American Minister and the officers of the Bos-
ton were parties TO the overthrow of the mon
archy. The causes OF The revolution. the grev-
ances of the people. the business Of their action,
the rottenness, immortality, and irresponsible
character OF the late King, the ex.Queen. and
the entire court influence all this was ignored
and the investigation conducted as though he
were an attorney working up one side of the
CASE
Lieut.. Young further charges Mr.. Blount
with having deliberately ignored the Provi-
sional Government in spite of the fact that lie
'0 ~ N'fNN NNSh'N NA'A FtN''
having treated Mr.. Stevens. the American Min.
lister, with studied discourtesy. although the
latter was instructed to assist the Commissioner
In his Investigations and possessed the fullest
knowledge OF every detail of the subjects un-
der investigation. Full Information was given
to the roy8list supporters at all timos, while, on
tho other hand. the officials of the Provisional
Government were kept In the dark. and Lieut..
Young gives several specific Instances In which
utterly untrustworthy evidence was used. 81
am not speaking from hearsay," he repeats,
but of my own knowledge. and | say that Mr..
Blount did not attempt to make either a fair
Investigation or a truthful report"
In addition to his history of the political dis
turbancos In the islands. Lieut.. Young has in
cluded in his volume several interesting chap
ters on the social life of Hawaii. her industries,
the development of her resources, and her com-
merciRl and strategic value TO the United States.
lie shows that without possession or control
Of Honolulu II would be both unsafe and UNI
wise TO Locate a naval station at Pearl Harbor,
and he reduces tho question OF annexation TO
the single Issue OF either taking the group as a
whole or letting 1t go as a whole, pointing out
that while. on the one hand, IL would be al
most impossible to eject any strong mari
time nation which once intrenches itself in
Honolulu or Pearl Harbor. on the other hand,
II the United Stetos first occupies this strong.
hold Of the Western World. she obtains domi,
nant power over the entire North Pacific, both
from a naval and commercial standpoint, and
affords protection to hor Pacific coast and has
a control OF the trans Pacific which
can be obtained In no other way. In conclu-
sion. he says that II any OF the leading mari.
time nations obtain that control they can be
evicted therefrom only by such expenditure OF
blood and treasure as will make the effort one
of the great naval and military feats of his.
tory. Until such eviction, 1t will be the one
focus In the Northern Pacific from which hos.
tile military expeditions can be fitted out
against our coast and commerce, and from
which the American merchant marine. now
greater In the Pacific than in any other ocean,