The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-18
ANNEXATION BY RESOLUTION
FAVORABLE REPORT ON ACQUIS-
ITIoN OF HAWAII.
House Committee Thinks It Proper to
Take the Islands In By Legisla-
tive Act-Minority Report.

Washington, May 17.-Chairman Hit
today presented the majority report of
the house committee on foreign affairs
in favor of the annexation of Hawaii
by joint resolution. 1t states that the
proposition is not new to either gov
ernments. For so years it has been ap-
parent that so small and feeble a gov
eminent must be merged with a
stronger power.
The report states that there is no
undue pressure on the part of the
United States as a great power; no
surprise to anyone; no possibility of
objections by other governments. 1t
is simply the obvious result of the nat
ural course of events through a long
period of years. thus completed with
the cordial consent of the sovereign
powers of both governments. The on
ly question involved is whether the
proposed possession of the Hawaiian
islands would be advantageous to the
United States
The strategic importance of the ISL
ands is then discussed. also the risk of
delaying acquisition, as there is danger
of the islands falling under Japanese
influence and control. American COM
mercial interests would be promoted.
and annexation. the report says, would
the islands.
A brief argument is made upon the
subject of acquiring territory by legls-
lative act, and it is declared that there
is nothing in the constitution to prevent
such acquisition.
In conclusion, the report says: The
acquisition of these islands does not
contravene our national policy or ira
ditionS. 1t carries out the Monroe doc
which axpludac E1rOnpaD mowers
from interfering in the American con-
tinent and outiving islands, but does
not limit the United States; and this
doctrine has been long applied to these
very islands by our government. AS
Secretary Blaine said, in 1881, the sit
uation of the Hawaiian islands, gives
them strategic control of the North
Pacific, bringing their possession with
in. the range of questions of purely
American policy.
1.-THE annexation of these islands does
not launch US upon a new policy or de-
part from our time-honored traditions
of caring, first and foremost, for the
safety and prosperity of the United
States"
MINORITY REPORT.
The minority report, signed by
Messrs. Dinsmore, Clark, Williams and
Howard. of the committee, sets out
elSnI TSdSOHS dSdIISl dlnGAdliOlls anu
offers a substitute resolution practical
ly establishing a protectorate over the
islands.
They declare that the Hawaiian peo-
pie have not been consulted, nor the
American people, charging that the on
ly hope for annexation is under the
cry of "war emergency" before the
people can be consulted. The other
counts specified against annexation are
that annexation in the manner pro-
posed is unconstitutional; the islands
are too remote and furnish too much
additional coast line to be defended;
the population is not racially nor re
ligiously nor otherwise homogeneous
with our own; political dominion of the
islands is not commercially necessary;
the islands are not, from a naval or
military standpoint, necessary to our
defense, and that, admitting that its
foreign occupation would be dangerous
to us and that there exists a single ma
ton willing, in the face of our repeat
ed diplomatic declarations of our posi-
ton to incur the dangers of war with
us in order to seize or hold them, this
danger may be met when the first overt
act or open demonstration shows its
actual existence. or may be prevented
by the passing of the minority resolu-
fiop berefOfOrea cited