The herald., 1898-01-30
For Each Day of the Week
to Come
OPPOSITION TO ANNEXATION
SLOWLY BUT STEADILY LOSING
STRENGTH
Chairman Hit Advances Specious
Reasons Why the Sandwiches
Should Be Basketed
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-President
Dole spent the afternoon in an inspec-
tion of the United States fish commits
sion. The party included the president
and Mrs Dole and Mr.. and Mrs Lau-
keau. United States Fish Commissioner
Brice showed them the exhibits and
workings of his department. This
evening Miss Witherby, niece Of Mrs.
Dole, arrived from Castine. Me-, Mrs.
Dole's birthplace. She will spend sew
eral days as the latter's guest The
plans for the coming week include din
ner every evening, beginning with that
Ito be given by Mr.. Castle on Monday and
the presidential banquet Tuesday.
LAST NIGHTS DINNER
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-The Grid
iron club gave it's thirteenth annual
dinner tonight and as has been it's GUS
tom in the past furnished one of the
most unique entertainments of the
season. Distinguished guests were
present from all parts of the world, as
well as men prominent in public life
from all parts of the United States. The
superbly decorated and the table was
bed Of rich and fragrant flowers. The
scene was a marvel of briliancy, for,
added to the electric light effects
amidst the ferns and evergreens the
colors of the nations represented at the
dinner were interspersed. The menu
was souvenir gotten up with especial
reference to the thirteenth annual din
ner. and in which the thirteen" was
used without regard to it's supposed fatal
effect.
Frank III. Hosford, president of the
club, was exceedingly happy in his in
Productions of the speakers and kept the
entertaining features moving with vim.
The speeches were short and witty, in
keeping with the occasion. The features
were spectacular and brilliant and of a
kind peculiar to those dinners.
A tribe of Indians in full war dress
swooped in and scalped George Daniels
and George w. Bird, who have been
active in preventing the anti scalping
bill before congress. The civil service
question was settled in a spirited con-
test in which Senator Lodge and Repre-
sentative Grosvenor were personated by
athletic young men, the result being
the former got the best of the spoils-
man. The features and speeches were
interspersed with solos and songs by a
quartet. .rrhere -sveror1 1e5- covers and
among the guests were the following:
President Dole, the German embassa-
dor. Mr.. Won Holleben; the French en-
bassador, M. Cambon; the Hawaiian
minister, Mr.. Hatch; the japanese min
lister, Mr. Toru Hoshi; the Chinese min
lister, Mr.. WI Ting Fang; the apostolic
o1n Now 80;
Brewer; Senators Aldrich of Rhode Is
land, German of Maryland, Foraker and
Hanna of Ohio, Platt of Connecticut,
Jones of Arkansas, Shoup of Idaho,
Mitchell of Wisconsin, Warren of Wy
oming and Senator-elect McComas of
Maryland, ex-senator Hill of New York,
Speaker Reed and Representatives AL
len of Mississippi, Cannon of Illinois,
Dlngley of Maine, and Grosvenor of
Ohio, Gen. Nelson A. Miles, Col. HI. c.
Corbin of the army, and Commodore
Melville of the navy; Assistant Secre-
tary Frank A. Vanderlip of the treas
ury, Assistant Secretary Thomas w.
Crder of the state department, Commits
sioner Evans of the pension department
and Chauncey M. Depew of New York.
COUNTING THE VOTE
Tribune from Washington says: Fifty
seven votes is said to be the high-water
mark of the Hawaiian strength in the
Senate. The opponents of annexation
say the treaty will receive only between
as and SO votes. If Senator Morrill, ad-
heres to his intention, the voting
strength will be SS, of which two-thirds
would be SO votes, or one less than the
number required if he votes. The vote
today on annexation admittedly would
be adverse, but as the Republicans have
lined up their strength it is expected
that German and Teller will solidify the
wavering Democrats and Silver Repub-
licans. On these two Senators the fate
of the treaty is said to rest 1t is the
opinion in the Senate on both sides that
Hawaii is gaining rather than losing
by the delay in coming to vote.
The Posts Washington correspondent
sends the following exclusive interview
with Chairman Hit of the house COM
mittee on foreign relations:
THE gist, in my opinion, of the whole
Hawaiian situation lies in the strategic
advantage of the little group considered
as station or point or basis of opera
tions favoring our western coast. There
is strong resemblance in this case to
the Bermudas, except that the Bermu-
das are not so commanding That is
there are no islands to the south of them.
in case of conflict, to take the place of
them.
"The possession of the Hawaiian is
lands would give us what might be con-
sidered comparative safety for our west
ern coast against naval powers, except
Great Britain, which could still get coal
for her ships from the British Columbian
ports and use that base for naval onera-
tions.'
THE subordinate features of the ones.
tion much discussed, the question of
sugar, the character of the population.
the mode of government, ETC., are oblj-
cations that take UP good deal of at
tention, but I think are of minor inn
portance. The control Of a country ga n.
not be permanently held half wav Wa
have now by treaty certain exclusive
rights, but that is a terminable treaty.
and the Hawaiian republic is theoreti,
cally an independent nation, but is who'll
ly incapable of defending itself and pre-
serving its independence the moment
that they come into conflict, and anv
naval power presenting itself could take
possession. Once possessed by a power
like Japan, England or Germany q
would be the story of tho rar,x,,,a.