The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-12

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Nothing of national import has
occurred during many years past con-
corning which there has been such gen
eral approval as the decision OF the
c,,vernment to make of Pearl Harbor
great naval base, "the key to the
Pacific ,, The announcement of the
4ina1 decision of the President to rec
oromena a withdrawal from Olongapo
and an increase of activity at Pearl
Harbor has been commented on by
every influential newspaper OF Amer
lea. and in practically every instance
.he Pearl Harbor policy has been en-
aoraea Herewith are given extracts
from mainland newspapers, published
4.from Maine to the Golden Gate, I" not
ono of which criticized adversely the
nolicv announced by the administra-
+ion that is to mean so much to Homo
lulu in particular and Hawaii IN gen
eral
It Is noticeable, however, that the
majority of the editorial writers take
for granted the assumption that Pearl
uarhor became available for the Unit
ed States when the treaty OF anneAa-
tion between Hawaii and the united
States went into effect. Of course,
this is an error, although natural
one. There are others who are unoef
4be impression that Pearl Harbor was
coded to the United States as coallng
station when the first reciprocity
treaty was signed. This is also an
error an error shared by many In
Hawaii.
The Grant Treaty.
The first treaty of reciprocity was
negotiated in 1876, between Secretary
Fish under President Grant, and T.. IT,
Allen. chancellor of the kingdom, rep
resenting the government of hawaii
Tn this treaty the United States was
Granted no special privileges in Pearl
Harbor. although the Hawaiian govern
ment agreed that it "wiil not lease OF
otherwise dispose Of or create any men
upon any port, harbor or other terri
tnrv or grant any special PRIV
;1aoe or right of use therein to any
other government.
The Cleveland Renewal.
Tn 1887 the treaty was renewed Tor
seven wears by President Cleveland,
and it was during the negotla1lohs
leading up to this renewal that the
.oss;on Of Pearl Harbor figured as a
condition. In the local assembly, the
question of handing Pearl Harbor over
+o America was tender one WIN
MANY and the ministers of the crown
were kept busy during the session OF
1886 in denying any intention on their
mart TO hand over any part OF the
realm.
The first definite information as TO
the new clause in the treaty came 10
Honolulu. naturally, in the columns OF
The Advertiser. This paper published
the text of the treaty in full before
the ministry deemed it wise to an
nounce it, and there was shaking up
in consequence.
Minister Gibson promptly denied the
cfo brand
;pg Il as p falsehood and the names
attached TO the published treaty as
forperies. The Advertiser simply wait
cd for time to prove it right, some
thing it had done before and has done
since.
The Hawaiian Hansard for Satur-
aav. Nav Is, 1886. contains she fol
lowing in reference to the treaty and
Pearl Harbor:
Knew Too Much Even Then.
ssNinister Gibson rose to make
statement which would be in accord
ance with the purport of the resolution
before the assembly on a former day,
and the statement he would make had
a particular reference to treaty al
legged to have been prepared at WASH
ington. one of the provisions OF which
involved a cession of Pearl Harbor to
the United States The draft of treaty
published in the supplement to the t.
c. Advertiser this morning, His Excel
lency stated emphatieally is a pure IN
vention. falsehood The names OF
T. T. Frelinghuysen and H. A. T. Car
ter appended to it, His Exeelleney has
also stated TO be a forgery. The orig
inal draft of the treaty convention sent
to the senate for ratification was held
up in the house with the remark thar
TO clause for the cession of Pearl Har-
Dor exists in it, and also that the ne"
treaty is a continuation of the old
without modification. His Exceilency
went on to read dispatches of March
Is and April %. from Hon. Mr.. carter
Afra--