The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-12-16

Governor Walter F. Frear delivered
the following address, in support of the
resolution of the Honolulu Chamber Of
Commerce, at the Transmississippi
Congress. Muskogee, Oklahoma. The
title of the address was Hawaii and
Pearl Harbor in Relation to American
Naval and Commercial Supremacy on
the Paeife,'' and the resolution car
ried unanimously. Governor Frear
said:
Alexander Won Humboldt long ago pre-
dicted that the commerce of the Pa
cifc would some day rival that of the
Atlantic Long afterwards, but still
long ago, William H. Seward predict
ed that the Pacific would be the great
est theater of the worlds future COM
merce. These predictions are rapidly
approaching fulilment.
Even great movements, when they
are gradual and the scene of action Is
remote, often fail to duly impress. Let
us recall, though in very brief and
general way, few OF the existing
facts.
AWAKENING OF ORIENT.
The Pacific is now traversed by two
commercial cables. On its broad ex-
panse the large and swift steamship
has already in great measure displaced
the smaller and slower sailing vessel
Its surrounding countries, almost with
out exception, are fairly leaping ahead
some with the vigor of youth, others
with that of rejuvenation. On the
farther side. Northern Asia, not TO
mention Europe, has been opened to
1t bv the Trans Siberian railway; Japan
is undermining Korea and Formosa, and
forty millions strong, astounding the
world with her own gigantic strides;
China is similarly awakening with ten
fold the population of Japan; the Unit
ed States not only is developing the
Philippines, but having entered the
arena of world politics is fast becom-
ing the dominant factor IN the attalfs
of the Far East At the antlpodes,
New Zealand and the federated states
of Australia have become great Anglo
Saxon commonwealths. On this SIDE,
Alaska has justified her purchase many
times over; the British Northwest Is
being practically rediscovered; the
Western States of our own great coun-
try are growing at accelerated rates
that surpass the most daring prophecies
of the past: Mexico is being transform
ed by American capital and enterprise,
and her Tehuantepec railway has al
ready short-circuited the South Amer
lean continent; the republics of that
continent have emerged from state
of turmoil and isolation into one or
stability and progress that has brought
greatly increased trade relations with
the rest of the world; above all else,
it is a matter of but few years
when the Panama Canal will be com
pleted-with results that can hardly
be imagined
SUPREMACY OF PACIFIC.
Now. whose shan be the supremacy,
naval and commercial, of this hasten
ing greatest theater of the world s
commerce3 There can be but one an
swer if TIE nation. to which of right
and bv natural conditions it should be-
long. remains true TO its past for en-
terprise and achievement But in the
establishment and maintenance of this
supremacy there are on the Pacific at
least three geographic points of pecu-
liar importance in their call for speelhe
action or policy on the part of the
national government: On this side, ana
first in Importance, the lsthmlan Canal
the ownership and vigorous prosecution
of which by the United States Is as
sured; on the other side China
China, with whose four hundred mil
lions of people the largest part of