The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-10-26

preeminentiy the domain OF sea pow
err"
Take the position IN San Domingo
over which there Il virtual Ameri
can protectorate. The situation ena.
blcs the United states to play a lead.
Ing part In the affairs OF tho Republic
As II was In the Sandwich Islands ~
II viii be In Hlspaniola. But instead
OF supporting American citizens In
| overthrowlng the native Government
| Washington has merely to support one
OF the rival parties In the State. Ow-
ing to Its disturbed condition, trade
with this country and the United
states has declined. But its resources
are so rich and the soil so fertile that
II is still considerable. Should all
preferences be granted to America,
, however. we shall suffer as we have
already suffered In Hawaii and Porto
Rico. How useful this weapon can be
Is proved by France, which negotiated
convention OF commerce and naviga-
tion with Hayti on threat to subject
her coffee to the maximum tariff. The
only country which is never able to
strengthen her position in a neutral
market is England, because she has
nothing to give. The figures for Brit
ish and American trade In Hayti and
San Domingo for the following years
tell their own tale:
UNITED KINGDOM.
Exports to Hayti and San Domingo
1890, 9547,4 400; 1895, f359, ,027; 1900, a337,-
2sl; 1904, s309,150.
Imports from Hayti and San Domln-
go-1S9O, GS9,593; 1895. a52,216; 1900,
G56,O5S; 1904, G67,351.
UNITED STATES.
Exports to Hayti and San Domingo
1880, e1,252,343; 1895. e1,2s2. .344; 1900,
eS72757; 1904, aS26,271.
Imports from Hayti and san Domin-
go-1s9o, es74,446; 1895. s566, 700; 1900,
e97S,O42; 1904, s662,3Os
1t is by no means creditable to Brit
ish enterprise that we have almost en-
tirely lost the carrying trade of the
island. The application of the Haytan
coastwise laws may have had some
thing to do with it. But when our
rivals can maintain steamship lines to
San Domingo, one Of them making
Grimsby a port of call, surely we can
do the same. The vessels of the Ham
burg-American Company call regular
ly at Port-au-Prince, and so do French
and Dutch steamers, but only one
British ship entered the harbor in 1903
and two in 1904. A table like the fol-
lowing makes us wonder whether Eng
land means to wake up in the West |
Indies or slumber on till it Is too late
to retrieve her position:
AT SAN DOMINGO IN 1904
Entered
Germany 80. SO vessels of III 445 tons
Netherlands SO vessels of SO ,429 tons
France ...... AZ vessels of 9.O40 tons
Great Britain vessel of LAYS tons
Cleared
Germany :. =. 80 vessels of III, ,445 tons
Netherlands so vessels of 63.429 tons
France ..... AZ vessels of 49O4O tons
Great Britain 2vessels of 1,724 tons
But the largest and most important
sland in the Caribbean is Cuba Noml-
ially it is independent. But experience
s teaching us that whenever strong
State establishes a protectorate over a
weak one and secures reciprocity there
- al tiiu VI iittuollls II was 81 Ill
vail, and it will be so in Cuba Last
year Lord Lansdowne negotiated an
Anglo-Cuban commercial treaty to
AXE the place of the one in existence
'efore the Spanish-American War. One
lause secures English shipping against
NY attempt which may be made in the
uture to include Cuban ports in the
oastwise trade of the United States.
mother secures to English trade tha
most characterization treatment in all
ases save those in which the reciproc-
ty agreement with America gives her
.oods special privileges. A similar
reaty with Italy became law two
ears ago. But from the monop-
list point of view there is all
he difference in the world be-
ween one of the smaller Powers and
,ngland. Hence the Anglo-Cuban
ommercial treaty is not ratified and.
a all obability, never will be. It
has not actively opposed
he treaty, but there are many indirect
'ays of conveying hostility which may
e equally effective. Apparently Cuba
Free as long as she acts in har-
1ony with the policy OF the United
tates. Among her people the idea is
eneral that Americas aim is to secure
navigation treaty which will place
er in the same position towards Cuba '
$ she already holds towards Hawaii s
nd Porto Rico. Verify Great Britain's ,
in Cuba has its reward!
t the present moment she has fewer
dvantages in the island than Italy. S
hat our position here is worth main
aiming, and how greatly Americas has ,
since 1900, may be gather
d from the following table:
UNITED KINGDOM.
Exports to Cuba-l90O, G1,S70. 1853;
104 Gt,S2S,S6S.
Imports from Cuba-1900, fS9,9s2; S
,O4. s179,693
UNITED STATES. r
Exports to Cuba-1S90, G2,6l6SS3; ,
n