Show HAWAIAN ANNtATIN TRfAT DIGNITY AND HONOR REQUIRE CONFIRSTATION i Congress Urged t Give the Islanders the Largest Local Political Liberties Liber-ties Japan and Hawaii By a special message dated the 16th of June last I laid before the Senate of the United States a treaty signed I I that day by the plenipotentiaries of the United States and of the republic of Hawaii having for its purpose the incorporation of the Hawaiian islands a an integral part of the United States and under its sovereignty The senate having removed the injunction of secrecy se-crecy although the treaty is still pending pend-ing before that body the subject maybe may-be properly referredto in this message because the necessary action of the congress is required to determine by legislation many details of the eventual event-ual union should the fact of annexation be be accomplished a I believe it should OUR VITAL INTEREST While consistently disavowing from a very early period any aggressive policy pol-icy of absorption in regard to the Hawaiian Ha-waiian group a long series of discussions discus-sions throueh threequarters of a century cen-tury has proclaimed the vital interest of the United States in the independent life of the islands and their intimate commercial dependency upon this country coun-try At the same time it has been repeatedly re-peatedly asserted that in no event could the entity of Hawaiian statehood cease by the passage of the island under the domination or influence of a power other than the United States Under those circumstances the logic of events required that annexation before offered but declined should in the ripeness of i i time come about as the natural result re-sult of strengthening the ties that bind us to those islands and be released by the free will of the Hawaa tate RATIFIED BY HAWAII I That treaty was unanimously ratified I without amendment by the senate and I president of the republic of Hawaii on the 10th of September last and only awaits the favorable action of the I Americn senate to effect the complete I absorption of the islands into the domains I do-mains of the United States What the conditions of such a union shall be j the political relation ot to the United States the character of the lo cal Administration the quality and degree de-gree of the elective franchise of the inhabitants in-habitants the extension of the federal sig lfet I laws to the territory or the enactment of special laws to fit the peculiar condition con-dition thereof the regulation of needs of labor therein and all matters upon which the treaty is based ha been wisely relegated to the congress SELF RULE ADVISED I i f the treaty is confirmed as every consideration of dignity and honor requites re-quites the wisdom of congress will see to it that avoiding abrupt assimilation of elements perhaps hardly yet fitted to shaje in the highest franchises of citizenship and having due regard to the geographical conditions the most just provisions for self rule in local matters with the largest political liberties liber-ties as an integral part of our nation will be accorded to the Hawaiians No less is due to a people who after nearly near-ly five years of demonstrated capaoity to fulfill the obligations of selfgovern ing statehood come of their free will to merge their destinies to our body DoltcAPAN JAPAN AND HAWAII The questions which have arisen between be-tween Japan and Hawaii by reason of I the treatment of Japanese laborers emigrating emi-grating to the islands under the Ha waiianJapanese convention of 1SSS are in a satisfactory stage of settlement by negotiation This uovernment has not been invited to mediate and on the I other hand has sought no iitcrvention in that matter further than to evince its kindliest disposition toward such a I speedy and direct adjustment between the two sovereign states in interest as I shall lg comport with equity and honor aUU ta It is gratifying lo learn that the apprehensions I appre-hensions at first displayed on the part cessation of Hawiiis national life through annexation might impair privileges to which Japan honorably honor-ably laid claim have given rise to up righteousness in the government and sincerity of its purpose to deal with all possible ulterior questions in the broadest broad-est spirit of friendliress |