The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-10-26
Cuba the New Hawaii

| LONDON. September 3O.-A British
tariff reformer in an article in the
Times draws very unfavorable pic
ture of British commercial interests in
the West Indies, pointing out the de-
cline of British trade there, particu-
larly in contrast with American. The
writer makes his summary of condi-
tions an argument for n new British
fiscal poicy-apparently something like
Mr.. Balfour's retaliation scheme. He
says in part:
When the Germans complain that our
attitude towards them is prejudiced we
laugh. We should do better to find out
whether or not there is ground for the
charge. Take, for instance, Germany's
trade policy in the Marshall Islands.
1t was denounced in this country as
though 1t were almost criminal, and
action to protect British interests was
promptly taken. Yet similar tactics
are used by America in the Caribbean
and the Philippines without protest on
our part, either popular or official. Nat
urally the Germans resent a partial
| ity so marked and are anything but
keen to discover the reason. 1t is our
fiscal policy, which is entirely divorced
from politics. That we We're able to
show fight in the Marshall Islands is
due to the fact that Australia pos
| sesses the weapon we have thrown
away, and the Germans knew 1t. The
West Indies being weak and divided
are not able to play the same part in
the Caribbean, and the mother country
can not as long as she clngs to one
sided free trade. Hence the difference
between our policy in that part OF the
world and in the South Pacific.
During the past eight years the Unit
ed States has taken step after step to
strengthen her position in Central
America and the West Indies. and all
OF them more or less at our expense.
The consequence is the first place In
the Caribbean is ours no more, and II
we are as passive in the near future
as we have been in the past We shall
be driven from the field altogether.
NV NllAl NhN tNptiSioii VI WIG s'A'-A
States is In itself disquieting. 1t is the
form that 1t takes. In other words, the
strategical situation, for which we pro-
vide more than enough, is less menac-
ing than the commercial and political,
against which we make no defense
whatever. For any oversee territory
under American influence is either
closed to British trade or is about to
become so. Though the traditional pol
icy of the United States showed signs
of breaking down long before, her first
political move was not made till 1898,
when she annexed Hawaii
This policy. in which commercial. po-
litical and strategical considerations
We're perfectly balanced, has trans
formed Americas share of the Hawai-
ian trade from 8 per cent. In 1896 to 50
per cent in 1906. That her geographical
position gives her an advantage In tho
islands over Great Britain may be ad-
mitted. But even when this was forti-
fled by duties against us, never lower
than 10 per cent, and rising in some
cases to % per cent, she was not able
TO drive us out OF the market, II was
| not until the Dingley tariff and navi-
cation laws We're put in force in 1900
that British trade in this part OF the
world received its deathblow, In 1881
our imports to Hawaii We're valued at
e3549Sl; by 1903 the figures had fallen
to G10i,6O7 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 u, $500 e2.-
49,, ,7sl; 1895. si.57T.1s2; 1900. s+,l4i $50;