Evening star., 1898-04-08
HAWAII AND CUBA
Their Relations to the United States
Are Totally Unlike.
COMMERCIAL AND STRATEGIC VALUE
importance of Mid-Pacific Coal
ing Station.
THE MORE SAILS

Special Corrt spondence Of The Evening Star
HONOLULU. March "a, 1893.
The Baltimore is about to sail for Hong
Kong. She carries to the China squadron
thirty tens of ammunition Just sent down
by the training ship Mohican. The latter
will remain here for some months probably
with the Bennington. It is evidently the
view of your Navy Department that in case
Of war with Spain the more immediate
danger TO United States commerce will
not be on this side of the Pacific. but on
the other, where Spain maintains naval
forces at Manila. Something might also
be done to distress Spain through her
rebels in the Philippines. But we hope
that by the time this reaches you the i'm
mediate danger of war will have given
way by an amicable settlement of the
Maine incident.
There cannot well be any danger to
American commerce from Spain ON this
side OF the ocean. until sufficient time has
e4spsed for sailing privateers to reach these
waters. Two CT three small armed steam
ers could cruise after these, making Homo
lulu their coaling station. No doubt, In
case OF war, such armed boats would soon
De set on guard between here and the
soas.. ine use OF steam cruisers by Spain
IN TIE eastern Pacific will be impossible
Tor lack Of coal, SO long as Honolulu is
occupied by an adequate United States
naval force. Right here comes in the en-
OF nous strategic Importance Of Hawaii to
the United States. By your occupa ton of
honolulu. every possible enemy except
England becomes absolutely paraIyzei for
enective attack upon your Pacific ports, or
uLon your commerce. 1t becomes impos-
sihle for their warships 20 procure any
supply OF ceal. They are rendered helpless.
How Is 1t possible for any senator or
representative to continue insensible to the
Importance OF this fact? Hawaii is made,
Dy ner position. the key to the naval con-
lrol OF the northern and central Pfcif1c
by possessing Hawaii, the United States
becomes absolute mistress Of this great
ocean. and obtains absolute security. While
steam privateer of an enemy can possibIv
maintain existence within four thousand
miles OF your Pacific coast, with the ex-
eeption or England. Even England would
the Straits of San Juan de Fuca. We col
ENCOURAGED to hope that your present
alarm OF war will convincingiy fix upon
these important facts the attention of
disparaged the strategic necessity of Ha.
wall to America.
No Parallel With Cuba.
1 desire to reiterate some former state
ments showing the peculiar fitness and de-
sirabieness of Hawaii becoming a part Of
the United States. on account of an at
tempted parallel of it's case with that of
Cuoa, wnen they are thoroughly dissimilar
washington correspondent of a leading
We" England paper. under date of Febru-
ery y. argues against the annexation of
Hawaii, ON the ground that "if Hawaii be
annexed, 1t is hard TO see how Cuba like.
WISE can long be denied admittance into
the Union'
He says: THE two subjects are yery
closely related. and to an extent interde-
pendent They may be so connected in
FCpuiar mlsapprehension. I think there is
really no connection between them All
inc conditions of the two are totally dis
similar. with the one exception that the
United States mas extensive commercial
relations ,,aa with both islands Also the pecu-
of Hawaii to the United States do not ex-
fst In the case Of Cuba
1he Washington writer thinks that as
soon as the actual severance with Spain
Is brought about "some element In (,uhs
will desire attachment with this country
and II such element can once get into
coptroi Its status would be similar to that
or the Hawaiian government under Presl-
dent Dole now seeking annexation" And
that close resemblance of the two situations
rs having an obvious effect upon the pend
Ing annexation controversy" Now, 1 want
to poin. out the complete unlikeness in
the two situations. First, the element
which got into control" in Hawaii was
by nature, and not factitiOusly the con-
trolling element It had always been the
controlling element in the government of
Hawaii, not only after that government
became civilized and constitutional but
previously. 1t gave civilized and consti-
tutional character to the native govern
ment previously lawless and despotic This
naturally controlling element was COM
posed of the whites born here, or settled
here from abroad, who were under Ameri-
can leadership, and composing practically
an American colony. They necessarily
guided the weak and ignorant native popu-
lation. in the most amicable mutual rela-
ticns.
Now. that American colony conducts the
government Of Hawaii 1t has done SO
for more than five years, with only once
most futile and ineffective attempt to
displace 1t. The tenure of power of this
white colony Is strong and to all appear
ances permanent. 1t is that controlling
white colony which seeks admission to
the Union. 1t is an American community
of your own people. HOY totally different
is the case of Cuba. There You have a
mongrel Spanish population. thoroughly
alien in language, institutions and senti-
ment to that of the United States. Here
you have an American population, thor
oughly one with you in language. laws.
sentiments and institutions. with all diff
fereHt alien elements dependent upon and
subordinate to the American leadership.
AS l have repeatedly pointed out, Hawaii
Is thoroughly American in its newspapers,
ltS Schools lts chufcneS, It's laws, It's courts
and its ruling language. All Americans COM
Ing here forget that they are not still in
their own country.
Conditions In Cuba and Hawaii.
How absurd then to compare Hawaii, thus
Americanized and assimilated, to Cuba, a
Spanish country. hostile and alien in all
respects to the people OF the United States.
While our Hawaiian climate, cool and dry,
attracts and favors white settlers, the cli-
mate Of Cuba Is too completely tropical for
the Anglo-Saxon to thrive there.
Your Washington writer thinks 1t quits
probable that II annexed the Cubans like
all Spanish-Americans, would have a pro-
clivity to periodical rebellions against the
constituted government, and that the