The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-12-12
As SEEN BY |
THE GERMAN
Impressions Of Hawaii
From Cologne.
ESTIMATE OF UNCLE SAM
Writer In a Fatherland Newspape,
Tells Of the Islands
r Importance.

neWepahtTs klNeS fdNneIldnu view OF ds
Americas acquisition Of Hawaii and is 81
taken from the Public Opinion of Lon II
don; M IN
IL Is useless to mourn for the de- W
struction Of the people OF Hawaii; yet n
the thing goes on with melancholy o.
CELEBRITY before our eyes and In a few 8
decades will be an accomplished fact. u
IL has been long known that the ka- q
nakas OF Hawaii could not survive con- d
tact and intercourse with the white Z
races. and from the day Of their dis c
covery by Europeans h has only beer r
a question OF how long a time they q
could resist the shock OF altered con- {
ditions. Yet II r. a gloomy thought 5
that the most highly deseloped people {
OF the south Seas muse fan victim 5
TO the civilization Of the Caucasian {
races. The kindred races OF Tahiti, the
Marquesas Islands. the Tonga group
and Of Samoa (the earliest home OF the I.
Poiyneslan races) seem 20 be able to
bear up against the new order Of things
far better than the more northerly ly-
Ing Hawaiians; and these latter have /
succumbed only less slowly than the |
Maories of New Zealand 20 the British
lAustrallan methods Of development by |
gin and opium.
Their position was their ruin. They
held the largest group ~ Islands. mag
nifcentiy situated between California
and China. between Canada and Aus
tralia. and their doom was ssaled from
the moment when the great CONNER
clal powers 81 the world began 20 rec
oenize the value % the Pacific ocean.
AS early as 1851 the American Admiral
a Dupont. an the memorandum 10 Con-
gress on the protection of the coasts
|, Iof the United states. declared that the
lpossession OF the Hawaiian Islands
was absolutely indispensable to the
superiority Of the American flag in the
Pacific. and the repeated attempts
made at different times by England.
Russia and Japan 20 obtain control OF
Hawaii anori further proof OF the high
Iopinion of the importance Of the Is
lands entertained by the other pow
Iers that dwell round the Pacific.
The fact IL that naval base in the
north Of the ocean from which active
operations could be carried out Is a
"a condition precedent FOR the command
= of the Pacific. 80 varship, not even a
swift modern cruiser. with increased
fuel accommodation. could engage with
an enemy on the enormous deserts oi
this great ocean without n safe bass
In some secure harbor wherein 10 ref
: and coal In the south Seas the vari
y, ous groups of Islands are disposed OF
In samoa the United states has OBJ
tanned the only useful harbor. Pag
Paro. in Tutuila. ana Germany has ha
nd 10 submit 70 this with a bleeding near
IL I'm order 20 exchange The dangerou
proximity of Great Britain for IN
more welcome presence OF Americ'
!. Hut I'm the whole ~ the northern ha
OF the ocean the> is nothing exceI
Hawaii which could form a naval bas
of the first rank Honolulu itself Is II
deed only n moderate harbor; IL scare
uu- 'iv afrords shelter for the ever-increai
ard ins number % ships that visit IL. ~
i'm -,ees there is no large extent of smoo'
eater such as IL required for the pr
40 lection OF dry docks. workshops, co
ard ammunition stores against inves
,ors ment-the deep fair way runs on q
inn other side OF the coral reef. 20 with
,sed one kiIoreter 81 the shore. so that
!, a dccn-drawtng battleship with a T.
.helIs could destroy all wharfs. ct
she before IL could be- driven of by I
No. Forts Even though powerful fortinc
az. ,isr, 10 command wide distanc'
could bs built on the extinct volcano
which lie Immediately round the ca
liars tai land the Washington admiralty
TIE busv preparing plans for such fortsD
modern Warship II more than MAJ
FOR any land fort. and. a hxed ma
ashore may expect more damage 1T
a ships gun than a warship IN
CT. .,sau, ls likely 10 suffer from a gar
- sons batteries.
srne faults OF Honolulu as a har'
n mini Of view W
sit rnown In America long before
r,hi,citv was given 70 the project
ro,tfng n firm grip over Hawaii,
\vE- s~,.rienced admirais under orders fr
nc OF va.hinston had carried out thoro'
.,,ryev of the coast line before
ser 80 nations had begun 90 suspect
..,6encv TO expansion on the part
,he United states. The result OF IN
y.ar. of quiet work was the decisiof
construct an American naval base
49,. p.art Uarbor. place lying about y
&c -. rlIos west OF Honolulu. winch
,he maps II called Pearl River tho
,nere is no river there and no pes
There IL no doubt that this VIII
ntaee Of the first Importance In the
THAT ,ure wars IN the Pacific. IL lies on
open south coast OF the Island and the
ssi 'nossi bor is a lagoon. connected with the
lon at by n long. narro" - sarho,
. the about ave kilos. long. The haroo'
lts self r. divided on the north siue
10 one three bays. which run up INTO tne
cents like little hords and seem 70 oe ir'
nee Of ed TOT . oosN 80 - ,hat buildings
Dm SO coral anu sS srns surroun
se. No be eashy 49,, S,,u hut fruI
Asso- and there is plenty Of fresh water,
- ,n tact Pearl Harbor is far more 81
Ort 50. 20 be a naval base than Pago Page
one can but admire the foresigf
the American naval Office. who
themselves thirty years ago to the
os acquiring this ideal spot. and
!. .ued their end unswervingiy' In
~ the undecided policy OF the Ame
ss..t., of,ice with regard 10 Haw