The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-04-12
" HONOLULU

1897 49, 10 Is
1895 Is II 90
Two points seem worthy of special
attentions:
First-That the steamer traffic is in
creasing steadily at a rate which
doubles it in less than five wears.
Second-This increase is mainly i'm
British ships, which have trebled in
| the five year period, while the Amer-
can ships have gained about one-fifrh
! as much.
There seems no reason to question
! that the increase of traffic shown in
the above tables is a natural one, IN
! the regular order of things, and des-
| tined to continue steadily at no less
rate of growth. 1t is due entirely to
the natural increase of commerce be
| tween the Pacific States. including
| British Columbia, and the empires
across the ocean, China. japan and
| Australasia.
China is only in the incipent sta
| ges of her foreign commerce. The
| productive power of her three hun
dred millions of apt and tireless wor-
kers have hardly yet begun to be APP
| piled to foreign exports. They must
ultimately generate a trade across the
| Pacific. which will exceed that from
| Europe across the Atlantic. The pres
! ent annual 200 steamer voyages across
/ this ocean are not 1.-THE of what the
next thirty years will witness. What
must follow from their growth of
! commerce?
For one thing, it is clear that at the
present rate of increase. there will oe
by 1905, in the ordinary growth of
, commerce. 33 steamers Il month call
ing at the port of Honolulu. The
present awakening of the United
+. States to the necessities attendant on
war may so hasten the construction
of the Nicaragua canal that il will be
| opened by that time. That opening
will at once send a crowd of Atlantic
steamers across the Pacific to Asiatic
ports, all of which must call here for
4 coal. These will carry up our steam
er arrivals to sixty a month. And
this will increase from year to year.
These ships will be of many ma
tionalities. There will probably be Il
good percentage of American. But
doubtless the majority will continue,
as now, under the British flag. 1t is
clear that England will have "A ire
mendous interest in this port.
/ When the time comes, as ii will in
| few wears. that from thirty to for
ty large British steamers are calling
every month at Honolulu for coal,
England will be under an imperative
necessity of seeing to it that Honolu-
In is a well governed port. If she
sees it in competent American hands,
that will meet her necessities Should
however the United States have de-
clined the important responsibility of
properly conducting this central point
of Pacific commerce. then England
will have no alternative but to take
charge herself of Hawaii, in order
that it do not become a pest-hold nor
an impediment to commerce, as it
will be in the failure of strong and
capable government.
Within a very few years, Honolulu
will become the permanent resort of
an enormous crowd of ocean steamers,
chiefly British together with their
great fleet of attendant collier ships.
TO handle such a crowd. to supply
their urgent necessities, to maintain
order, to provide wharfage, to protect
them from pestilence and unsanitary
conditions, to support municipal life
in the city, accordant to the enormous
traffic, these duties will tax the best
abilities of as strong and able gov
eminent as can be created here.
Such "A government will have to be
maintained here. There will be no
alternative. The necessities of civil
cation and its vast commerce demand
it even now. and will then demand il
with multiplied force. If America does
not provide that government, can any
Co., T,,H 80,
do it? Perhaps she will let Japan
take the job, or Russia! But Hawaii
is directly in the line of England's
great trade route, and she is not apt
to neglect her own interests.
Great Britain is not now reaching
out for Hawaii. and has no eXpecta-
tion of doing so. She regards ii as a
certainty that the United States will
soon accept the gift of the Islands.
She is amazed and amused that there
should be any hesitation in accepting
it. But if so improbable an event
should be, that America declines the
gift, then England will have no alter
native. for the protection of her com
merce. but to undertake the task of
maintaining competent government
in Hawaii She has simply got to do
il.
But the unavoidable conclusion is
that the United States will do it. Any
hesitation can he only temporary.
Our destiny is manifest
| do not here enter upon the ques-
ton: How is such steamer feet TO
be provided for in this little pocket
of harbor? Fortunately, Pearl ITar-
hor is close at hand to receive our ov-
erfow 6 + BISTOp