The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-06-04
HAWAII SHOULD
Be IMPROBABLE
Representative Dyer Fayors Big
Naval Base and Thinks Con-
gress VIII DO Duty Y.

. . - ~ f. b.. .. "
Representative Ia q. Dyer, who re-
Gently returned to his home in st.
Louis, Missouri, from trip Of inspec-
ton Of the Hawaiian Islands as mem.
Ter Of the congressional party; told
reporter for the Globe. Democrat, the
leading newspaper Of the Southwest,
that he would favor strengthening the
Notifications here so that the Islands
as a naval base would be impregnablc.
1.-THE necessity Of this is apparent
to any one, Dyer said, because OF
the position Of these Islands IL the
Pacific Ocean, midway between the
United States aud the Far East, Ms a
protection to the Pacific Coast, the Pa
mama Canal and the Philippine Islands.
The work Of foytifying and estab-
fishing naval base is now going on,
and IL sufficient money is made avail!
! able for the work under way and that
planned these Islands viii be the great
est asset the United Bt6tes has as a
naval base. Is f9 =,
Enemy wouid Try 70 rake Them
IF we should have war the enemy
would make every effort to get posses
sion Of the Hawaiian Islands for use as
a naval base, Dyer said There
would be practically no danger Of any
other country attacking the Phcifa
Coast or the Panama Canal 40 long as
we held the Hawaiian 1slAnds, and
had there an ample naval base. The
fertilization of the Islands and troops
maintained there are primarily for the
purpose Of protecting the Pearl Harbor
m afo l.. -. a
now upon the naval station at Pearl
Harbor in the erection Of coaIing
plant, dry dock, naval magazine
and waterfront improvements, ali OF
which win involve an expenditure OF
great deal Of money. .
Fifteen million dollars win be
needed in the next three years to com.
plete the work under way at the naval
station, forts and the necessary guns
and ammunition. IL is money that
ought to be spent, and / feel certain
that congress win do its duty in this
regard. At present there are about
5000 soldiers in the Islands. and there
ought to be $4,000 maintained there.
"Upon the question of statehood
that is, the Territory Of Hawaii bccom-
ing state in the federal union--I do
not believe that for d number of years
congress would look with favor upon
that. There are too many national
tiles of people in the Islands, and while
the Hawaiian Islands are termed the
great melting pot Of the world, tho
experiment in this regard has not de-
veloped fully enough to fully determine
Low well the races would blend to-
gether and work together In order 70
be given the powers and rights of
citizens of a state. az =,
Sugar Worth $5o,o00,o0o Year
The chief product of the Islands Is
sugar, and the crop amounts To- sub
stantially $50,000,000 year. The pres
ent law provides q protective duty up.
on sugar coming into the United States
from foreign countries. Hawaii does
not have to pay this duty, it being
the Territory Of the United States, but
If that provision of the Underwood Ia.
riff law should be allowed TO 90 into
force next year il will be q great hard.
ship to the sugar industry of the Ha-
waiian Islands, and, in my Judgment,
from close examination there, il would
practically ruin this industry, the chief
industry Of the Islands. - =.
"Of the sugar consumed in the
United States Hawaii furnished about
"a per cent. Cuba is the greatest pro-
Queer Of sugar for our people, and with
the tariff off, and Hawaii so far from
the mainland it is practically impossi-
BILE for that industry in the Islands to
be maintained. I sincerely hope that
congress will repeal that portion of the
Underwood bill at its coming session
this winter and allow these Islands to
continue to prosper, not only on ac-
count of the people who live there,
but because Of the great benefit that
these Islands are to the United States
as whole" ~ ..-s', .,~.',-,