The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1898-10-29

United States and calling to the assist. \
ahce of their rulers men Of American
birth or ancestry. Even among their
holidays there are those Of the Fourth
of July, Memorial Day and Washing. 4
tons birthday. The group has been IN.
der the virtual protectOrate of the Uni.
ted States for two generations. Thu
influences which have developed ifs
commerce and made it Il civilized region 4
have ali emanated from this country. "a
The essential public interest attach.
Ing to Hawaii grows out Of its central
position in the commerce of the Pacific
Ocean. Honolulu is in the track of ali
steamers sailing to Australasia from
San Francisco or Puget Sound. Even
more precisely is Honolulu in the direct
route OF one part Of that enormous
traffic from Atlantic to Pacific ports
which awaits the cutting Of the Nicar.
aqua ship canal to flow in steady tide
through the isthmus. All the trade
with China and Japan from American
ports on the Atlantic must take the
Nicaragua route. 1t is this large move. d
ment Of ocean commerce impending in
the immediate future which lends the
most serious Importance to the political
relations Of the Hawaiian islands. Ev3
cry ship from the Atlantic crossing the
Pacific to Asia will naturally sight the
Hawaiian islands, and every steamer
will be likely to replensh her coal
bunkers at Honolulu. This fact will
render the political condition and inter-
national relations Of Hawaii Of import
ance.
Honolulu is a convenient port of call
for steamers on the route between Cali
f0rnia and China. This tendency will
Increase with the coming growth Of
Honolulu as general calling and coal
Ing station. It is also natural port Of
call and supply for ships to China from
CallaO and Valparaiso. Honolulu is
thus the great crossroads Of the Pacific
commerce.
More than this, Honolulu is the only
crossroads Of the north Pacific. This
port is wholly alone in it's commanding
position. 1t has absolutely no competl-
tor. From the Marquesas to the Aleu-
tians Hawaii is the only land in that
| tremendous ocean eXpanse west Of
America where ship can call within
space Of $500 miles from San Fran
cisco, and 5000 miles from Nicaragua
BY the geographical necessity of the
case everything centers at Honolulu
not merely as the most convenient port
Of call, but as the only one.
Honolulu will have to provide for the
accommodation Of from twenty to
thirty large steamers per month, to-.
gether with that Of the GOLFERS supply
Ing them. This will be a formidable in
crease Of business and must materially
affect the commercial, and with them
the political, relations Of Hawaii.
The favorable position of Honolulu
will be materially enhanced by the alb
solute necessity Of using those islands
as the intersecting point for Geographic,
cables across the Pacific. 1t is obvious
that all cables between Australia and
the North American Pacific coast must
make Honolulu their first station.
Eight Of the islands in the group are
Inhabited occupying line Of about $50
miles, beginning at Hawaii and run.
ming west northwest to Kauai and Nil
hau. They receive cool ocean current
from the northeast, with trade winds
from east northeast, that temper the
climate with q cool breeze but lightly
charged with moisture. The population
Is composed Of pure Hawaiian, mixed,
foreigners Of Hawaiian birth, Ameri-
cans, British, Germans, Scandinavians,
French, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese
and Others
The total commerce between Hawaii
and the United States in 1891 amounted
to $19,002,S09. OF this sum the imports
Into the United States were valued at
$l3,S95,597, while the exports to Ha-
wall amounted to only $5,107212. /
The census of 1890 shows that the ex-
ports Of Hawaii "are now and have
been for some years past larger in pro-
portion Of its population than those Of
any other country in the world, Aus
tralia standing next on the list. In the
last ten years we have, with an average
population of not more than 5000, ex-
ported produce worth, in round num-
bers, 500, 100000, or an average Of near
y s125 per annum for every man, WON.