The San Francisco call., 1898-07-24
Anticipated Annexation Eighteen Years Ago and Now Predicts
 Great Benefits.
Declares the United States Should Not Fear the Chinese and Leper Elements of the
 Islands.

Copyright. 1898. by George Grautham Bain.
 NEW YORK, July 18.-I asked Rob ert R. Hit of Illinois. the chairman ot the House Committee on Foreign Ali fairs and a member of the Hawaiian Commission, what effect the anneXa- tion of Hawaii is going to have in eX- tending opportunities for investment and enterprise for Americans. MT. Hit has never been to Hawaii, but in his long service in the State Department and the diplomatic corps and as chair man of the Committee on Foreign Af- fairs, he has gained an intimate knowl- edge of the subject. He has better understanding of 1t, perhaps, than some men who have been cOnspicu- ously identified with the annexation movement. because MT. Hit has anti cipated the annexation of Hawaii for more than eighteen years. He told me that he had discussed it with James G. Blaine when he was first Secretary of State, and that he had said al that time to members of the House of Re presentatives that they would better be thinking of some form of govern ment for the new territory, because it was sure to be American some day.
 Mir. Hit told me that aside from the political and strategic value of the isl ands on account of their position, he thought a fuss entirely out of proper tion to their importance had been made about them.
 Why, think" he said they are no bigger than many a Congressional dis trict and they do not contain a pOpula- tion much more than half that of an average congressional district. Of course, their prosperity will increase as soon as the American flag is planted over them, giving absolute assurance of stability, without possibility of any attempt to restore the ridiculous, rotten little monarchy, or of foreign occupa- tion. In that respect they are going to offer a better opportunity for invest ment under stable certain government and the property of the men who now live there will increase in value.
 Years ago I saw an illustration of the difference in value which the estab- lishment of law and order was believed to make in a country. I went with the commission which was sent to San DO- mingo in 1870 to investigate the subject of annexation. It was one of Grant S pet projects AS you probably remem- Der, Mr. Sumner had quarreled with Grant could find nothing good in any  annexation project
 When we went to San Domingo, a party of land spectators and sugar growers followed us. They Were there tO get land and franchises and prlvi- leges for nothing or for next to noth- Ing, but only on condition that the isl- and was to be annexed to the United States. Franchises and privileges were to be had, but only by sufficiently in- sulting' the Pooh-bah President of the island-the usual Spanish-American way. They surveyed the ground and saw in the island a possible Fl Dorado. To this side were fertile valleys to that broad reaches of rich land and through the hills the trained eye of a railroad from mule back. But they said all this was of no value unless the island was annexed Without annexa- ton the most productive land was not worth the price of the trip. When an- neXation failed, they gave up all idea of investing.
 "I remember saying to them that not far away was an island-Jamaica- whose government was of the most sterling character, where there was no fear of loss of life or property, yet no one that I ever heard of wanted a plantation in Jamaica; no one ever went there except to stop off for a day. Their answer was, the Stars and Stripes did not float over Jamaica and our people and their money followed the flag With the assured permanent establishment of the rule of the United States in Hawaii probably business will quicken and property increase in value.
 Up to this time it has been subject to the possible mutations of govern