The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-25
CUBA THE
NEW HAWAII
Continued from page I.

our imports TO Hawaii were valued at
e354. 931: by 1903 the figures had fallen
to e104, 607. AS the latest consular re-
port says, the effect of the present
tariff is to reduce to the smallest point
imports from the United Kingdom.
The following table shows how the
trade of the United States has in
creased with Hawaii. especially since
the annexation:
Hawaii Imports from L. $500, e.
4s2, 7s1; 1895. e1,577.792; 1900, s4141, $50;
1904, e2, 800. 416.
Hawaii Exports 10 L. $500, e942.-
2s1: 1895. s744,6 GIL; 1900. e2,701,S 29; 1904.
e5, 026. 7o6.
Nor is this all. Out of merchandise
to the value of s5,186.SS4 exported in
1904 only e4622 was carried in foreign
bottoms. and so determined are the
Americans TO secure the entire ship
ping trade that tonnage in quantities
too small to be sent round the Horn IS
taken TO San Francisco and trans
ported thence by rail. At one time here
our supremacy as carriers was undis-
nuted But a wear ago 426 American
vessels of 673, AS tons entered the port
OF Honolulu, and seventy-six British
vessels of l74,162 tons. Soon the Union
Jack viii be as unfamiliar in Hawaii
as the stars and Stripes once were
But it may be urged that the Sand
witch Islands are too remote to have
any bearing on the situation III the
Caribbean. One might as well urge
that Malta has no bearing on the stu
alton in the Red Sea. The only diff
ference is that Suez has been cut and
Panama has not. But it is unlikely
that our luck will save US from the
consequences of our stupidity in the
New World as it did in the Old. AS
though history repeats itself in the
same way We are indeed ca ceful not to
oppose the cutting Of the Isthmiau as
we opposed the Suez Canal. But we
may show a lack of foresight in an
other direction equally fatal to our in
terests. That is precisely what We are
doing We allow our soldiers and SAIL
ors to make practical use of the teach
ing of MaEan. but not our statesmen.
In America it is national She has
no need to wax eloquent about II be-
cause it is the basis Of her policy. To
her. therefore Hawaii is the farthest
outpost of the new trade route of the
future by way of Panama.
But admitting that we could safely
sacrifice our commercial interests in
turn the political and strategical posi-
ton against US. what about our COM
mercial interests in the West Indian
Islands? In Porto Rico we are no bet
ter off than we are in Hawaii, each |
having been given the blessings Of the /
Dingley tariff and American coastwise ,
laws in the same year. Unfortunate /
" in the Board of Trade returns Cuba
and Porto Rico We're treated as a unit /
till 1900. Hence it is not possible to
make a perfect comparison between
British and American trade before the /
beginning of the present century. New |
ertheIess, the following figures are IL !
enough TO be instructive:
UNITED KINGDOM,
Exports to Porto Rico-19O0, e106,-
27I: 1904, e44,4 95.
Imports from Porto Rico-1900. e671; |
1904, trifling.
UNITED STATES.
Exports 10 Porto Rico-1S90. s459,507; /!
1895. $50. 70s; 1900, e1,4S3,ooo; 1904, e2-
IA 403.
Imports from Porto Rico-1s9O, ESQ.,
l25: 1895 e3o1, 500; 1900, s1.132, 200; 1904,
e. 315. 49,
But these are American Territories
which. so far as commerce is concern
"a. are on the same footing as any Of
the States. The question for US 10
consider is do We intend TO allow Pan
ana and Domingo and Cuba 10 be
closed 10 British trade in the same
way? Apparently we DO. since we sit
still with folded hands, and watch the
7ease!ess activity Of our rivals, when
We should be taking measures TO meet
hem on their own ground We could
lot adopt a more detached attitude il
xe lived in another planet Indeed. 50
ncapable of understanding the situa-
ion do We seem that the only step
ken BY US in the Caribbean Of late
ears has been entirely Tetrograde-
That was the withdrawal OF the sub
sidv TO the West Indian mail service.
An Oriental fataIist could not present
. more irpassive front 10 adverse for
une than England TO the decline OF