Show annexation unnecessary the springfield republican is opposed to the annexation of the hawaiian islands and holds that such 4 a step is not necessary to the proper conservation ton of the interests of the united states and in support of this position reasons as follows 1 I 1 the united states already has X a perpetual grant of pearl river harbor as a naval and coaling station and r as 46 gen foster says that is the only place suitable borsuch such a station within a radius of 2000 miles 2 with that harbor possessed by the united states no other nation would have any inducement to annex hawaii 3 the mere understanding that the united states would oppose the absorption of the islands by any other power would act as an effective prohibition hibi tion of such an absorption the united states is powerful enough to have its proclaimed wishes in such a matter respected without any bloodshed 4 the Hawaii hawaiians ans themselves will not lot seek absorption by any other power because commercial interests bind it to the united states hawaii seeks commercial union as naturally as the islands of the west in aes ues and the economic fate of the antilles AA tilles would be that of df hawaii in case it was deprived of the american market 5 As a point of strategic importance in the defense of the pacific coast hawaii will still further diminish in value as it is already diminished by the british naval station at after the completion of tm an isthmus canal that canal would weaken the pacific coast in a military sense ense according to captain mahan and the struggle to visco would be diverted from hawaii to caribbean waters at the eastern entrance to the waterway in case of war with any european power this is a concise and forcible statement of the views of the opponents of annexation and shows incontestably that there are at least two sides to the question the republican continues but if hawaii need not be annexed neither is it necessary to completely abandon it the islands should not 5 U allowed to pass tinder the dominion vt bf any other power because 1 the military argument in faor vor of american control while not V conclusive when used in support of cormal formal annexation does possess suf walent lent weight to render actual european or asiatic domination in ha wall all prejudicial to our interests and a buenace ne nace to the pacific coast 2 the only civilization in hawaii worthy orthy of the name was derived from te e united states and americans in i and politics rule there through hirough their natural force of char charac ter er and superior attainments ave the anglo anglo saxons the world over naturally weak races it cannot be helped hj hj 3 por for some sixty years it has baft wen the settled policy of our govern tto to prevent the absorption ofha wa a ll 11 alby oy any other power the 11 problem then is to find a policy i W anich aich shall meet the needs of the situ altu atholl as thus outlined Is it difficult to find A one for statesmen it should wl not be difficult cult to any exceptional derce tor for we need only to follow the natural lines of development as an al ready revealed by the lapse of years the independence of hawaii should be guaranteed by the united states as has been substantially the case in the past this would prohibit the absorption of the islands by any other power and indirectly would prohibit the islanders themselves from seeking I 1 such absorption furthermore to ini sure local government devoid of anarchy disorder or recurring revolutions such as characterize civil government in many latin american countries we could logically afford protection from our war ships to the hawaiian authorities under proper circumstances in case of such outbreaks this indeed would be due from us it if we prohibited the interference of other nations and inasmuch as the present government under president dole is the best hawaii has ever had this protection might well be extended to it immediately and thus the danger of disorder obviated from the moment of our formal declaration of the national policy this policy of course would amount to a protectorate of hawaii by the united states but it would be a protectorate ate in its mildest form not even necessitating official occupation like glands En occupation of egypt the responsibilities incurred would be hardly more than those incurred in the past while its advantages would be the removal of all fear lest we should sometime have hawaii as a state or a troublesome ble factor in our body po politic litle we should thus conserve american interests in all respects while holding hawaii we should hold it at arms length the enthusiastic temperament of the american press predisposes it to respond quickly and sometimes rashly to the appeals of jingoism hence the zeal with which many papers have been advocating the absorption by this country of the little mid pacific republic there are weighty considers con sidera eions on both sides of the question and the american government should act with calmness fairness and a due regard for the principles of right which ought to control in national as well as personal affairs |