The sun., 1908-08-16

part Of tho counmerce botWeen AslA enu
the Atlantic ports Of Europe and AmsFica
win pass through It. Hawaii 10 almost
exactIy midway In the passsge from Asia
| TO the canal. It win be matter OF abouf
| eight or nine days steaming from Asia
\ or the canal for the average freightng
vessel to reach it. Such vessels viii call
| for supplies at Honolulu. A conservative
estimate is that within ten years such snips
will number from $50 to 200 month. Tney
viii want coal, they viii want food. There
is no room for fifteen or more OF such amps
| In Honolulu harbor and there will be none.
Why, it IL on record that in tho early '5os
the whalers 30 crowded Honolulu harbor
that ono could step from deck to deck ana
walk ell over the entire harbor.
| Congress has authorized the expenditure
Of about 81, 900 900 In improving Honolulu
harbor 80 that 1t will have genera width
| of 1, 200 feet, a length Of 5000 feet and q
| depth Of ss feet, but dock room is limited.
and no one believes that the commerce
| Of great International freight route be-
| tween Asia and Europe and America can Dc
accommodated there. 1t will have to 60
to Pearl Harbor. There is ample room In
the unreserved parts Of that harbor to hoat
the commerce Of q Hongkong.
There will be erected the coal sheds and
other large supply depots. and there also
will arise O new city, rival, or perhaps
It would be better to cay. an extension OF
Honolulu. This extension has already
started-Peerl City. The deep sea business
Of Hawaii will largely be done there. OF
course some ships will call at Hilo. on the
island Of Hawaii. where the Government
10 about to erect q large breakwater, one OF
the most important places for the shipment
| of sugar, but in the main transpacifo
commerce must call at Pearl Harbor.
Deeply important therefore is this ma
tional project Of improving this fine sheet
Of water. It means money to commerce
and trade as well as protection for com-
meroe and the nation at large. One en-
thusiastio writer has referred to Hawaii a. q
coming centre for the 'throbbing shuttles
Of q gigantic ocean traffic.. Another
speaks Of the Territory Of Hawaii as the
headlight Of Americanism' on the Pacific.
However it 10 viewed there can be no re-
gret over the development Of the one piece
Of water in It's borders that means 80 much
to the United States.
TWO GREAT BLUNDBRs.
Two most serious cumbersome might
call them colossal--have been made In our
maritime policy in the last century. One was
when we let the Marquesas Islands go
and the other was when we allowed Mag
daiena Bay to pass out Of our possession.
David Porter annexed the Marquesas
Islands in 1918. They command the en-
trance to the Panama Canal and have the
same strategic situation toward 1t that
Hawaii has for the western coast OF the
United States. They would be invaluable
to-day as an outpost for the protection Of
the canal on the Pacific side and as place
Of call for supplies and trading on the way
from New Zealand Australia and the South
Sea Islands by ships bound through the
| canal. We let them 60 for lack Of interest
in them. and ouriously enough James
Monroe. Secretary Of State at the time,
was largely responsible.
We got possession Of Lower California
| at the time Of the Mexican War and we
let 1t 60 when q peace treaty was made.
As this correspondence on the cruise around
South America has pointed out repeatedly,
the possession Of Magdalena Bay for target
practice and naval station on the southern
end Of California and on the way to Panama
would be priceless.
MONROE DOCTRINE OF THE PACIFIC
No such mistake was made with Hawaii,
but at times 1t seemed as IL indifference
would cause US the loss Of this sentinel
outpost. As the report Of the House Naval
Committee says: "For sixty-fve years the
United States Government has officially
recognized the strategic importance Of the
Hawaiian Islands and the necessity OF
| thofr h. ~ thor
nation It was In 1s4s that President
Tyler served notice on European nations
that this country would never consent TO
their using these islands for military base.
In 1850 Secretary Of State Clayton notified
France that we could never with indif-
ference allow them 1.-THE Hawaiian islands,
to pass under the dominion or exclusive
control Of any other Power Secretary
of State Daniel Webster reiterated the same
Monroe Doctrine Of the Pacific In 1851.
William L. Marcy, James q. Blaine, other
great Secretaries OF State reiterated it.
as did William Mckinley when he pleaded
for the annexation Of the islands.
Most Americans are familiar with the
events which finally brought about an
nexation OF these islands In 1893. The
Spanish war was the immediate cause.
Dewey's victory made their possession
necessary. 1t is not known generally.
perhaps, that prior to that, In 1854, 1858 and
1873, the monarchs Of the islands sought
annexation and we refused 1t. -Four times
We refused a reciprocity treaty and not
until 1876 was one adopted. which brought
forth wonderful results. Three times,
In 1874, 1880, and 1898 were United States
I men-of-war called on to land and did land
forces to maintain order there. Twice
since the islands have been civilized was
possession taken Of them on behalf Of Great
Britain. In 1881 and ls4S. Strange to say,
each time England refused to accept them.
The overthrow Of royalty in 1893 was the
beginning Of the final step. OF the many
anxious moments that the revolutionists
passed through owing to the sudden re-
versal Of policy Of President Harrison by
President Cleveland the country Is well
informed. Few persons now regret that
by exactly two-thirds vote. q to 81, on
July o. 1893, the islands were finally, an
nexed to the United States, exactly seventy
two years from the time the King executed
his first treaty with any foreign Power.
q treaty which Capt. Timothy G. Jones.
i 60 H. TY.t txol