AMERICA AND JAPAN.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10645, 26 June 1897, Page 2

AMERICA AND JAPAN.

A. bather eerlotiß view Is taken of (be trouble which has atleen between theee two nations ovar the Huwaliiu group by Jadee A. W. Tontgeo," the leoently appointed Consul for Ameiloa at Bordeaux, France. He was one of the few Amerloaua who were eooorded a prolonged interview with LI Hnog Chang doting hia visit to that country. In this Interview, aa it chanced, the relation of Hawaii to the future of Amerioa and the Faolfio was tonohed npon. LI Hang Chang felt ■atiified that Hawaii was destined to fall into the hands ot Japan, through the torpidity and shortsightedness of the Ameiioan people, who were unable to realise that a nation wbloh did nod hold the power of tho sea, bat wn« hndlooked by timid distrait of herself, would fail to pat In operation a policy like that of Qreat Britain, who never mlaaed on opportunity to seonre any foot of the earth's surface that might ba transformed into a citadel of power, The Japanese, on the contrary, Li Hang Chang deolared, ', were the "English of the Orient," ambitious, enterprising, iosalar. Give them Hawaii, he said, and In leas than fifty years they would attack the western coast of the United States, put itß cities under tribute, and compel compliance with its demands or the maintenance ot a doable armament greater than her own. Japan, he be* lieved, would toon become the great naval power of the faolfio, and if given control of the Hawaiian Group 'would soon transform the islands into a praolioully linpreguuble position, the possession of which would make auooes*ful naval operations against her home Empire impossible, while America's own extended ooaat line would be ever open to attaok. Judge Tourgee was specially impressed with these views, because of the Chinese Viceroy's abiding faith that thlt was In aooord with British polioy. While It was true that England would rather control these Islands herself, LI Hang Chang thought that she rocognlaed the faot that her possession of them would awaken the most bitter opposition in the United States, and very likely lead to war between the two countries As the next best thing, she wished them to be under Japanese control, as an effeotual barrier to American power and oommeioe 1b the Paolfio, He called attention to the faot that even at the present, In case of a war with Japan, America's western coasts would be devastated before she could lnciease her Paolfio fleet or provide for the defence of her harbors. America's contempt for tho Oriental, he pointed oat, woald expose Amerioa to dangers which might easily be avoided by taking the lessons of history aa the guide for her own polioy, Commenting npon the position of affairs, Jndge Tonrgee said :— " I have been impressed with the faot that theee views have a basis of very sound sense, The demoorutlo form of government seeruß lrrepreßotbly to incline a nation to the adoption of a happy-go-lucky polioy which refuses to adopt the most ovldent methods of safeguarding the future. We seem to believe that no danger can ever threaten us except from within. Even the Infallible military Instinct of General Grant was Insufficient to. Induce the Amerloan people to provide a harbor and a fortress In the West Indies, wbioh are sure to be the baae of operations In any war that mny arise with England. We remain snplne, while from Halifax to Jamaica her fortresses rise, affardlDg sanctuary for her commerce and a seonre basis of operations for her fleets. The same sentiment whloh left Athens the victim of Macedonian power and. Roman and Turkish aggression seems Inseparable from democratic government. Athens depended on her wealth, her intelligence, and her luck. When wo come to consider the safety of oar oommerae and the security of oar coasts from foreign aggression, we seem lnveterately wedded to the same fallacious assumptions. It seems now as If the tear of Hawailon sugar would blind oar eyes to the danger of foreign control of the Hawaiian Islands,"