The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-05

are armed and are being drilled and |
are preparing to act here in connection |
with the japanese navy in eventualities |
with the United States and Japan |
which the somewhat saffron eolored |
press has been insisting was all but
certain to come with the ''next week. -
1t is needless to say that [ have not
found such companies drilling in Aala
park However, / believe that-with
the assistance of the voluminous Sep
TENDER report of the United States
Bureau of Commerce and Labor ON Ha-
vail have been able to write what
in our section of the country at least
will prove to be more or less interest,
ing series of articles on decentralization,
the United States unpreparedness as
a nation at this time to frown gloomily
on Japan and the preponderance of
Japanese in these islands. The striking
feature of the situation as it appears
to one from section 1000 miles away
from any salt water is that In these
DAYS when the Pacific is becoming the
scene of the world rs greatest develop
ment, the United States should not
have single serviceable battleship
in these waters, that a yacht should be
the flag ship of one of our squadrons
and that this strategic key to the COM
mercial and naval Pacific should be
without protection. When one realizes
able navy that Far Eastern power
could put into the seas would not be
very serious menace to the western
coast of the United States and that
with Hawaii any Eastern enemy is
master of this ocean and is within
! harassing distance of our practically
| unprotected coast cities and is IN posi-
ton to meet any navy that might be
sent out of the Atlantic. he begins to
think that the United States would be
| justified in making this another Gibral-
/ tar. 1t is proverbial that Republics
are bodies that move slowly and it IS
possible that in time at least the APP
proximately 100000 that Washing
ton is pulling out of the Hawaii Gus
toms annually may be placed to this
work.
''Of course, every indication is that
there will be no trouble between the
United States and Japan at this time
but this surcharged air at least exposes
| our weakness and it should at least
produce some good in calling the at
tention of the remainder of the United
States to Hawaii s great value as a
strategic point in event of war with
any Far Eastern power. And Japan is
not the only giant in the East. There
are indications that one greater than
she and one long stability treated Is
awakening. Not only in event OF war
land in these days wars are largely
as a commercial and cable key to the
Pacific these islands deserve attention
The roads across the Pacific are just
beginning to be travelled. The opening
OF the Panama canal, the perfectine
of the new Tehuantepec route, the
opening of greater markets in the East
all mean that Hawaii is to become more
and more what she has styled herself
the crossroads of the Pacific.
"As for the Japanese, I, for one
know nothing about them but one who
reads these days can not fail to appre
ciate that they are a marvellous people
well worthy of friendship and wei
even though their financial condition as
a people may not compare with oul
own. If it is true that they would not
forsake their own flag for naturallza
ton under ours they only have dwell
ing in them the spirit of our own faith
ers who would have resented the sug
gestion that they become Englishmen
Frenchmen, Germans. Their persona
cleanliness, their marvellous faculties Of
| application and for work, and thei
patriotism certainly commend them tt
all people, but their preponderance IL
numbers on these islands and the lacl
of a resident labor certainly at thi
time is not exactly the ideal condition
in territory of the United States
All remember the old days when tn
cattle men out west fought the prop
osition of the small land owner AM
small cattle grazier but the change tina
has come was inevitable. 1t certainl.
would be the height of folly to strik
at the prosperity of the great suga
industry of Hawaii but if this is t
remain an American territory it seem
almost certain that history may re
peat itself and in time, though tn
| road may be hard to it, there will b
a resident Americanized population o
small land owners-men and wome
who will be become attached to tn