The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-01-16
Sale Of Tanning Brings the Little
Hawaiian-0wned Group
Into Prominence.
HISTORY HAS BEEN SEARCHED
American Title CIeaT-Flag oil
Kamehameha Raised a Half
Century Ago.

that if one were to go thousand miles
almost due south there would be found
a beautiful island upon which the royal
flag of Hawaii was hoisted in sovereign
ty just half a century ago.
And not one person in ten thousand
knows, until The Advertiser tells them
this morning, that Palmyra Island, the
political property of the United States
and the private domain of one of Ha-
waii g foremost citizens, Judge H. E..
Cooper, of the circuit court, may be
a bone of contention between the gov
ernments of Great Britain and the
United States.
From being a mere speck upon the
charts of navigators, ''unhallowed, un-
honored and unsung," and far beyond
the ken of any schoolboy student of
geography, Palmyra Island suddenly
looms up on the horizon Of the Southern
Seas as a possession to be acquired
and held in high valuation.
With the sale of Washington Cor
New York; and Tanning Islands to a
British syndicate, this Hawaiian islet
of the South Pacific assumes a tremen-
dous Importance; while with the open.
ing Of the Panama Canal, now only a
matter of months, the strategic and
commercial worth of Palmyra is en-.
haneed an hundred fold; and greedy
eyes supported almost by greedier
hands are upon it.
"Thou shalt not covet" has no place
in books of the British syndicate
which made the purchase of Tanning
Island from Father Rougier recently
But it wishes to set up the claim, based
upon the fimsiest Of pretext, that
Judge Cooper's island is as a matter
of fact a possession of Great Britain.
This claim has been made in private
and to the parties interested, but so
far as is known the English govern
ment has not been asked to back the
claim nor to take up the matter with
the Washington authorities. Neverthe-
less the actions and threats of the own
ers of Tanning and Washington islands
gives ground for the belief in certain
quarters that Palmyra Island may be
made the subject of earnest correspond.
ence between the State Department
and Downing Street.
1t Is pointed out, however, that the
claims of the Britishers If "claims
they really pretend to be-are of the
shallowest kind and, without attempt
ing a pun, will in no way hold water.
The Honolulu parties interested long
ago satisfied themselves that Palmyra
was as truly American territory and
as truly protected by the Stars and
Stripes-with all which that means
as the island of Oahu or of Manhattan
for that matter.
Still, with this assurance, born of
careful and conscientious investigation,
and feeling that there was not one
chance in a Thousand of being mis-
taken, yet Judge Cooper and his friends
have more recently gone over the en-
tire story of Palmyra Island and proved
beyond the shadow of any doubt,
reasonable or otherwise, that Great
Britain has about as much title to this
South Pacific islet as DIR. Cook has ia
the North Pole. Even less, indeed, fol
Cook Hdid'' claim the northern END
yT the earths axis as his own while
Great Britain as a nation, until ven
lately. never said the Union Jack hae
a right to float over the eOcoanut
groves Of Palmyra.
But the subjects Of the British crown
have in years gone by and in diver
Darts of the globe, made claims Whiei
wore afterwards backed mp by sloOps
of-war and regiments of laneersi ant
there Is no man on earth who woul'
take oath that Britannia will no
eooner or later poke her nose into "a
present business.
Judge Cooper acquired the island b
purchase about year ago, and be
not % en- frightened or worried by "a
claims of the other felloNF Of eouFsi
A the latter ask John Bull 20 help thel
out ana John staTis Boa to DO N, u
moro fhau likely that she Territory
Hawaii. believing her intrrgrty 20
asss ls.1. ull eaii promptly upon Nne
aamuel ~ send hIf feet of gray ~
fghfers doan PaimYfa -wnrt
However, Judge Cooper dprr DOT ,
Hove fiIufa VIII come A. HnIh pa
n fiss ~ ~ fesis fhst personally q
is,and. ~ Islands fof FalmgfH b fea.
rrnu. fff nf mufh 30 af fhe ro'
- Wiafkrfonf lu hif ilbfnrg
d appear ffon fhf mosi eafefsi
aaarahfs mhaf. H atlea fanpuf aaih'
HIas aai,rfnniiafr $40 feffifF fafh pih
fhai - nfii gf aifemrF fHmFe !
arH 3 knfrrHH fw a flf yeas "a
ahf Amfrfan $50 Fa'mfIa hefe
aHH FL tas iaHa fHifaiH HaHif Z
faaa snffl faati ~ nea feHGa q
atN HaNf 'aHa.Ef
fasl sHIa faa fafaaIr aarif fsI
mfsf fee.mff HsgH'ngae fffr
a eif.HNl It|Nras ~ rHH tH
ifa.i NfH4fs ~ fff t
Nfls ftfi q