Evening star., 1898-05-14
VALUE OF HAWAII
Reasons for the Early Annexation Of
the Islands.
FROM A MILITARY POINT OF view
Gen. Schofield Questioned by
Members of Committee.
STRATEG1C IMPORTANCE

STR RATEG1C IMPORTANCE
| When Gen. Schofield and Admiral Wal
| ker appeared before the House committee
| en- foreign affairs last Tuesday in connec-
| tion with the question of Hawaiian an
nexation. The Star published a summary
| of their testimony. Since then the stem
| oGraphers' notes of the hearing have been
transcribed and printed by order of the
| committee.
In the course of the hearing the follow
ing interesting coiloquy occurred between
Gen. Schofeld and Mr.. Williams of Mssis-
sippi. and Mr.. Clark of Missouri, who op-
pose annexation.
Possession Of Hawaii.
Mr.. Williams: Suppose we owned Pearl
harbor and fortified it. with the right of
| sovereignty over the harbor-and sufficient
| surrounding land to protect the fortifica-
tioDs Of the harbor, which understand We
| do have. Now. how could any foreign
| power land at the main island of Hawaii or
| ally of the Hawaiian Islands and threaten
| our pos session of the harbor? Where would
| they land?
! Gen. Schofeld: They could land troops
| anywhere at Honolulu harbor, especially ii
| the popuia tion were friendly to them. Sup
|
| in getting that for which they are work.
| ing so hard'now. the political possession Of
the islands and physical possession, be-
cause all the emigrants from Japan there
| are soldiers, in a very few years Japan can
| get physical and political control of the
| isis nds--
Mr.. Williams: But my supposition was. if
| we had announced to the world our guar
| arty of the independence of the islands.
| Gen. Schofeld: We cannot do that
| Mr.. Williams (continuins): And our firm
] determination to maintain that. If that
| announcement were made do you, as a
| military man. think that the Japanese en-
| pire would undertake to defy that an
| ncuncement and make an attack upon those
| islands?
Gen. Schofield: 1 do not doubt it for
| moment. They would first populate the
| Island with Japanese and get control of
| the government. They would have two or
| three hundred thousand Japanese there
| thoroughly loyal to Japan-as much so as
| Americans are to the United States. What
| gcCd would our guaranty of independence
| be against such population?
Mr.. Williams: You do not understand me.
| They might have the local government of
Japanese people; grant that
Gen. Schofeld: Suppose those people
there, in accordance with the doctrines of
| the American government were to organ
| iZe a government and ask admission into
| the Japanese empire. Could we resist it?
| Mr.. Williams: If We announced for mill
| tary ana naval reasons that would
I
| We would resist it today.
| Gen. Schofied: Our announcement would
| be laughed at by the governments of the
| world, because we have not done the things
| necessary to maintain that guaranty.
| Mr.. Williams: am taking it for granted
| we would guarantee it against the Japan
! ese: l think we would ne adequate to the
task. Let us take the present position
| 1t is today The japanese can now, to-
| gether with other Asiatic races, gain COM
| plete control of those islands, cannot they?
! What prevents them from doing so, except
| the position of the United States?
| Gen. Schofield That Is true, but the num-
| bers are comparatively small
Japanese immigration.
| Mr.. Williams: What will continue to pre-
| vent it?
Gen. Schofield: Because they would send
| in several hundred thousand increased pop
| uatiOn. Once in there, they will be able
| to overthrow the government unless do
| what would be equivalent to anneXa ton.
| send an army to occupy it,
| Mr.. Williams: Your position, take 1t. Is
| this: The danger we are to look forward to
! and the danger arising in the islands them
| selves from the emphasizing of the pres
| ent character of population. an increase of
| Japanese population by immigration estab-
| fishing a local government of Japanese
| sympathies and race which would be natur-
ally inclined toward the mother country:
| that is the danger.
Gen. Schofield: That is one danger.
Mr.. Williams: Not the danger of an at
| tack from a foreign government so much?
Gen. Schofield: think that is the great
| est visible danger now. do not think the
| nations of Europe would probably permit
| that. They might say to US, or ought to
| say to us. IF you do not take the Sand
wich Islands and hold them. let us do it;
we will not consent that japan shall popu-
| late that country"
Mr.. Williams: Have we not already an
| nounced to the world by the declarations
IL ,.fC
the letters Of our ministers. and in every
| way that can be done except by joint reso-
| luton of Congress, that We would regard 1t
as act Of hostility if any foreign nation
| should take or hold possession of the Ha-
| waian Islands?
Gen. Schofield: Yes. we have done that.
Mr. Williams: Have we not on two or
three separate occasions announced that
| fact to people about to take possession Of
| them, and have not they all halted?
| Gen. Schofied: Yes.
Mr.. Williams: Why will not they continue
| to halt as we grow stronger both in popu-
iation and as a naval and military power?
Gen. Schofield: We have also announced
that Cuba Is and of right should be free,
yet we have to send an army and navy to
| enforce it. So 1t will be with the islands
| unless we send our army and navy against
| them.
Gen. Schofeld: But think. myself. while
the moral power of the United States has
been heretofore, and will be, very great,
the power of it's navy and its fortiiications
and its army will be infinitely greater, and
| do not believe there is any absolute Sc
curity to the interests of the United States
anywhere in the world except the army
and the navy; and the moral influence has
fresulted from the fact that we have had
that potentially although not actually in
Iexistence. l think the time has come when
we must have that power and take our
place among the nations of the earth, and
we have got to control the Sandwich ISL
ands, and II We do not
StrateEic Value
Mr.. Newlands: You have spoken of the
Importance of our holding these islands
with view of preventing any other ma
ton from taking them and making them
a point of attack upon our Pacific coast.
Let me ask you whether there would be
any disadvantages to our country arising
from the Sandwich Islands being absolutely
neutral in any war?
Gene raj Schofield Oh, unquestionably; we
would lose all the privileges we are enjoy
ing now, the right to use them hos
tt,Ixl IL. boil I.Ar for-