The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1898-01-20
ed by Senator Allen of Nebraska, who

ed by Senator Allen of Nebraska, who
spoke III opposition.
Mr. Davis speech today was devoted
largely to presentation Of the strategic
features of annexation. He displayed u
chart showing the location of Hawaii
relative to this country and Asia. One
of the points brought out with considera-
Bile elaboration was the probable effect
OH the Nicaragua canal OF the occupation
of the island by some foreign power. He
illustrated by u reference to the. map
showing that Hawaii was in straight
line between the western terminus of
the canal and Japan and China. The
nation, he said, which controls Hawaii
will control that great gateway of com.
merce, as the guns painted upon Hawaii
would be pointed directly at the mouth
of the canal. He also devoted careful
attention to the Importance, of controlling
Pearl harbor, now owned by the | nited
States, saying that the nation which
maintained possession of this harbor
would hold the key to the main situation
in the Northern Pacific. He presented
the necessity for controlling Hawaii as
II base of supplies i'll case of hostilities,
saying that it was almost necessary to
control it for this season, on account of
the impossibility of Il warship crossing
the Pacific without replenishng her coal
supply:
Mr.. Davis ridiculed the objection made
by Japan that the addition of Hawaii as
United States territory would work
against Japan's treaty rights in the
islands. lie said in reply to this objec-
ton that all rights would doubtless be
protected, and instanced the creation of
the German Empire as showing the eff
feet of action upon the treaties of various
countries which enter into consolidation.
Mr. Davis called attention to the APP
parent cordial relations existing between
Japan and China, as manifested by ia
pans offer to lend her fleet to the En-
glish in Chinese waters, where, he said,
the greatest naval demonstration of his
tory was about to be made. He did not
indicate belief that immediate war would
be the result of European complications
over Chinese territory. On the contra
ry he called attention to the fact that
flags of Great Britain, France, Germany
and Russia were floating side by side in
the Oriental waters, neither power being
apparently anxious to disturb the other
50 long as there was prospect of each
power getting as much as the others were
taking.
The only way in which the United
States could protect themselves against
this division of territory would be to con-
troll the Hawaiian islands. In case we
should fail to do this there was danger
of losing very important trade advant-
hScS WHICH were rapidly ueNclOplnS Ill
the far east. He referred to the i'm
provcment of the commercial outlook be-
tween the United States and China, and
instanced the fact that one Minnesota
firm had exported 100000 worth of
flour to that country.
When Senator Davis took his seat he
was congratulated by almost every SEN
ator present upon the force of his argu-
ment, the thOroughncss of his research
and the brilliancy of his presentation of
the facts.
Senator Allen pop.) of Nebraska fol-
lowed III opposition to the treaty. He
called attention to the distance of Ha-
wall from our shores; referred to the ne
cessity we would be under of defending
the Islands in case of war, and claimed
on this account it would be necessary for
the United States to establish and main
tain separate fleet for their protection,
as well as an army on the islands. He
deprecated the idea of assimilating such
Il population as that of Hawaii, and de-
clared that the people of that country
were not of a character calculated to
send acceptable senator's to Washington.
There was apparent today a disposition
on the part of some senators who an
nounce themselves undecided as to what
course to pursue on the Hawaiian ques-
ton to mix it, with the Cuban problem.
They are friends Of Cuba, and their de-
sire is to have the administration take a
more pronounced position in the interest
OF Cuba as a reason for their assistance
on the Hawaiian treaty.