The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-13
THE HAWAIIAN TREATY
CONSIDERED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OF
TIE SENATE.
Senator Davis Comp eied His Able Speech on
the Hawaiian Annexation Question.
Speech of MIR. Allen.

Speech Of Mr., Allen.
Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Davis
completed his speech in the executive
session of the Senate to-day on the
Hawaiian treaty and was followed by
Senator Allen, Of Nebraska, who spoke
in opposition.
Mr.. Davis speech to-day was devoted
largely to presentation of the strategic
features Of annexation. He displayed a
Chart in front of the presiding officers
platform showing the location of Hawaii
relative to this country and Asia. One
Of the points brought out with consider
able elaboration was the probable effect
on the Nicaraguan canal of the occupa-
tion of the islands by some foreign pow
er.
The nation, he said, which controls
Hawaii, will control that great gateway
of commerce, as the guns planted upon
Hawaii would be pointed directly at the
mouth of the canal.
He also devoted very careful attention
to the Importance of controlling Pearl
Harbor, now owned by the United
States, saying that the nation which
maintained possession of this great har-
Dor would hold the key to the military sit
uation in the North Pacific
ne also presented the necessity for
controlling Hawaii as a base of supplies
in case of hOstilities, saying that it was
almost necessary to control it for this
reason on account of the impossibility Of
a warship crossing the Pacific without
replenishing her coal supply.
Mr.. Davis r.diculed the objection made
by Japan that the addition of Hawaii as
United States territory would work a
violation of Japan's treaty rights in the
island.
Mr.. Davis referred to Japan's protest
ais an indication of natural tendency to
rapacity, and said that the government of
that country should have been satisfied
with the territory wrested from China
instead of wanting to gorge herself by
the addition Of Hawaii
Mr.. Davis did not indicate belief that
immediate war would be the result of the
European competition over Chinese ter
ritory. On the contrary, he called atten-
ton to the fact that flags of Great Bri-
tain, France, Germany, and Russia were
floating side by side on the oriental wa
ters, neither power being apparently anx-
iOus to disturb the other so long as there
was prospect of each power getting as
much as the others were taking. The
only way in which the United States
could protect themselves against this divi-
sion of territory would be to control
the Hawaiian islands. In case we
should fail to do this there was danger
of losing very important trade advan-
tages which were rapidly developing in
the far east. He referred to the i'm
provement Of the commercial outlook |
between the United States and China |
and instanced the fact that one MINES |
ota firm had exported a half million dol |
lars worth of -four to that country.
Mr.. Davis closed with the remark that |
while brilliant craftsmanship demanded |
that we should look out for tomorrow, it |
was still more brilliant craftsmanship to |
take into consideration the day after |
tomorrow. He declared that modern i'm |
provements in travel had produced such
a revolution that Honolulu in effect is
no farther from Washington to-day than
was New Orleans at the time of the |
acquisition of Louisiana, and therefore |
cOntended that the distance between the |
two countries was no bar to their unity. |
When Senator Davis took his seat he
was congratulated by almost every Sena-
tor present upon the force of his argu- |
ment, the thOroughness of his research |
and the brilliancy of his presentation of
the facts
Senator Allen. (Pop., Neb.(, followed
with a speech in opposition to the treaty
which was comparatively brief. He
called attention to the distance ofa
Hawaii from our shores, referred to the i
necessity was should be under of de-
Tending the islands in case Of war, and |
claimed that on this account it would |
be necessary for the United States to |
establish and maintain separate fleetl
for their protection as we'll as an army
on the islands.
He also deprecated the idea of assim- |
Hating such population as that of
Hawaii, calling attention to the fact that
almost half OF it was composed Of
GA4nese and japanese. He contendedl
that the annexation OF the islands would /
open the doors for q violation of our
laws for the exclusion OF Chinese, hold
Ing that they could find admissioni
through Hawaii. He said also that it
would be impossible to prevent HaWai's |
becoming State of the union at some
future day, and declared that the peO-
pie Of that country were not OF a char
aeter calculated to seRd acceptable Sen
atOrs to Washington.
There was apparent to-day a DISPOSE
ton on the part of some Senators who
announce themselves undecided as to
what course to pursue on the Hawaiian
question to mix it with the Ctban pro-
bleIh- They are friends of Cuba, and
their desire is to have the administration
take a more pronounced position in the
interest of Cuba as return for their as
sistanGe on the Hawaiian treaty.