The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-10-17
The Story Of How Hawaii Acquired Navy
Revived by the Presence of Mr.. Arundel
of South Sea Island Fame.

The presence in Honolulu of Mr..
Arundel Of the Ocean Island Explora-
ton Company is reminiscent to kama
ainas of the days of twenty years ago
when King Kalakaua at the inspira-
ton of Premier Walter Murray Gibson,
bought the steamer Kaimiloa from T.
H. Davies, agent for the vessel, and
Mr. Arundel.
The time was two decades ago and
the idea of a vast Polynesian kingdom
put forward by Mr.. Gibson, then Min
lister of Foreign Affairs, was new and
halycon-hued in the Kings mind. Ha-
wall as the only recognized sovereignty
in the mid-Pacific and by treaty, en-
voy and ambassador one of the family
and it's monarch the natural head of
the new Dominion of the Sea. The
scheme was large but the geographical
placement of Hawaii proved at the
outset an obstacle not to be overcome.
The plan of first sending mission to
Samoa, then bringing in Tahiti and,
little by little, all the archipelago of
known and unknown islets meant, in
the establishment of a protectorate,
an enormous military and naval arma-
ment while the collecting of revenues
was confronted with insuperable OBJ
stacles. So the fascinating dream of
an Island Kingdom faded.
But when the Kaimiloa steamed UP
from the south seas with guano aboard
for Hawaii, Mr.. Arundel in command,
the mirage of power was yet improved
! sham. King Kalakaua had been re-
ceived in England's court with royal
honors that gave him all the rights
of kingly rank unquestioned. "On the
royal arrival, Charles Judd, WIN. Arm
strong and George Macfarlane compos-
ing the Hawaiian party" says Colonel
Macfarlane, was lodged at Claridge's
hotel, Brook ST., Piccadilly, where all
such visitors are placed at England's
expense. Then came the question of
royal etiquette in calling. For three
days the British foreign office discussed
the pros and cons of whether Albert
Edward, Prince of Wales, and Heir
Apparent to an empire of many mil
lion souls, should call first upon his
guest, King of an Island Kingdom
whose subjects numbered but a few
! thousand.
"At last the Foreign Circumlocution
| office, as Dickens would have styled
! it, decided that kingly rank was kingly
| rank whatever the size of his kingdom,
! provided that that kingdom was prop
| erly recognized as one of the family
| circle of civilized nations. So. on the
| fourth day, the reception room of Ka-
| lakaua's suite in Claridge's, lately va
| Gated by the Grand Duke Alexis of
| Russia, was put in order. 1t was fur
| nished like the reception room of a
| palace and in it the quartet from the
| tiny island realm awaited the ruler-to-
be from the mighty Island-Kingdom
''Kalakaua was somewhat nervous
as the carriages of the royal escort
filed beneath the windows. wondering
! whether or not the prince was annoyed
at the decision of the Foreign Office.
I as many British subjects We're. But
with his ever affable, tactful manner,
| Albert Edward came swiftly forward
/ and Selling Kalakaua by both hands,
said: Well, I'm glad those old fogies
at the Foreign Office have concluded
their worries. I have been waiting
for three days for a chance to see
YOU He then poured forth a flood
or brusuue. pertinent questions speed
lily putting the whole assembly al
ease"
The suggestion of Gibson that the
Kaimiloa be bought in the general
, advancement of Hawaiian greatness
fell on fertile soil. There was a great