Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-15
Methods Resorted to by Opponents to
Annexation.
MISUNDERSTANDING GEN. sCHoFIELD
The Veteran Officer a Firm Believer
in Annexing the Islands.
HIS SONS GIVEN

ton treaty are so hard pressed that they
are being forced to conspiracy. forgery and
fraud to bolster up their cause" Such was
the statement made by a gentleman who
has kept pretty well posted on the mat
ter to a Star reporter today. 'They are
flooding the country with pamphlets, maya
zines, circular letters and prepared edI-
tor.al matter antagonistic to annexation
If they confined themselves to facts and
truthful statements, no one could reason
ably object to this method of disseminating
information; but by reason of their lack of
facts they have been reduced to the ne
ceSs1ty OF issuing fraudulent statements"
One of the pamphlets being issued Ly the
opponents to annexation and examined by
a Star reporter is entitled:
Hawaiian Annexation Scheme GA Sugar
Trust PLOT, Exposed by General Schofield."
The manifest intent of the title of this
pamphlet is to Indicate that Gen. Schofield
is the author thereof, and that he is OPP
posed to annexation.
Gen. Schofield, it is asserted is not the
author of the pamphlet; had nothing to do
with 1t, and is a radical supporter of an
nexatlon as IS evidenced by his letter to
Senator Morgan, published below.
The pamphlet, which purports. to have
been written by Gen. Schotield, has no ref
erence to him. and contains nothing ever
exposed or written by him, with the
ception that on pages II and IS there is
brief eXtrac: from a report made by Gen.
SchOfield in 1913 concerning Pearl narbor,
in which he says that many of the Ha-
watan sugar planters Of that day favored
annexation for the purpose of getting their
sugar into the United States free of duty,
the report being made prior to the negotia-
ton Of the reciprocity treaty.
This pamphlet is one that is being pub
lshed and disseminated anonymously,
without even the name of the printer at
tached thereto. 1t is being mailed by those
who it is alleged, are masquerading rs the
the country, who are in fact the agents Of
the sugar trust.
Gen. SchOfeld's Letter.
The letter from Gen. schofeld to Sem
ator John T. Morgan is as follows:
ST. AUGUSTINE. Fla, Jan. IL, '9s.
Hon. JOHN T. MORGAN,
United States Senate.
Washington, D. c.:
My Dear Senator: In compliance with
the request contained in your letter of
January 8, l do not hesitate to write you
without reserve in respect to my views
upon the pending question of annexation
of the Hawaiian Islands.
From the time twenty-five years ago.
when l made Il personal examination, for
the purpose of ascertaining the value of
those islands to this country for military
and naval purposes l have always regard
ed ultimate annexation of the islands to
this country as a public necessity. But
the time when this should be accomplished
had to depend on natural political devel-
opment In the meantime our national in
terests should be secured by the exclusive
right to occupy, improve and fortify Pearl
River harbor, so as to insure our posses
sion of that harbor in time of war.
To illustrate my views on this subject
/ have likened that harbor to a command
ing position in front of a defensive line
which an army in the field is compelled
to occupy. The army must occupy that
advanced position and hold 1t, at whatever
cost, or else the enemy will occupy 1t with
his artillery and thus dominate the main
lire. 1t we do not occupy and fortify Pearl
River harbor our enemy will occupy 1t
as a base from which to conduct operations
against our Pacific coast and the Isthmean
canal, which must, of course, in due time
be constructed and controlled by this coun-
try. The possession of such a base at
convenient distance from our Pacific coast
WOULD be Il great temptation to an un-
friendly nation to undertake hostile opera
tions against us.
One of the greatest advantages Of Pearl
River harbor to us consists in the fact that
no navy would be required to defend it.
1t is deep, land-locked arm of the sea,
easily defended by Notifications placed
lear its mouth, with it's anchorage be-
yond the reach of guns from the ocean,
Cruisers or other warships which might
be overpowered at sea, as well as mer-
chant vessels, would find there behind
the land defenses absolute security against
a naval attack A moderate garrison of
regular troops, with the militia of the
island, would give sufficient protection
against any landing parties from a hos
tile heet. Or course, an army on trans
ports, supported by a powerful fleet could
land ard capture the place. But that
would be an expensive operation; one
much less likely to be undertaken than
as a necessary preliminary to an attack
on our coast or upon our commerce
The value of such a place of refuge and
OF supplies for our merchant marine and
overestimated Yet the greatest value to
US OF that wonderful harbor consists in the
fact that its position and adequate defense
by us prevents the possibility of an enemy
using 1t against us.
So far AS 1 know, the leading statesmen.
no less than the military and naval author
tiles OF this country, have always been in
accord on this subject.
While 1t has not been proposed to inter-
1ere with the continued occupation by for
eign nations of their military stronghoIds
In this hemisphere 1t has been publicly and
emphatically declared that none of those
strongholds should ever be allowed to pass
into the possession of any other nation
whose interests might be antagonistic to
ours.
Now, for the first time, the occasion has
arisen to carry into effect our loEg-declared
national policy
A little state like Hawaii cannot stand
alone among the great nations, all of whom
coVet her Incompatible harbor She must
nave the protection of this country or of
some other great nation. But prctecto-
rate without sovereignty Is the last thing
TINS country could afford to assume
IN the absence OF authority to regulate
and control the intercourse between the
islands and other countries controversies
must arise which would lead to war or to
the loss of our Invaluable military possess
sion in the Islands.
No halfway measures will suffice We
Must accept the islands and hold and gov
ern them, or else let some other great ma
ton dc, it.
To fail now to carry into effect our own
great national policy upon the first occa-
sion offered to us would. in my judgment
be one of those blunders which are worse
than crimes.
To my mind, what may be regarded per-
haps as the sentimental aspect of the Ques-
ton is entitled to consideration.
colony of intelligent, virtuous and pa
triotic Americans have rescued a country
from barbariSm and raised 1t to a high
IL.