The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1888. AMERICA AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1739, 13 January 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1888. AMERICA AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.

Following up the remarks made m our issue of yesterday on the subject of French influence m the Pacific, it may be interesting to glance for a moment at the American view of the situation. An article headed " Our interest m the Pacific Ocean," which appears m the " Australasian and Souih American " of •December 9, presents the opportunity of so-doing, and we avail ourselves of that opportunity for the purpose of acquainting our readers with theopinions of our American cousins. After pointing out that it has been hitherto the wise policy of the United States Government to abstain from interference with foreign Governments m the disposition they have been pleased to make of the various countries and comparatively unknown territories of the great continents, the journal referred to argues that a slight departure from traditional methods is ad vu able m connection with the Islands of the Pacific It contends that otherwise the United States will be placed at a fatal disadvantage as compared with other great maritime and commercial nation?, and urges that no time should be lost by America m the definite assertion of her position m relation to these important territories. Reference is then made to the fact that some three years ago the British Consul at Samoa endeavored to persuade New Zealand to annex the Samoan islands, and to the subsequent high-handed action of Germany m relation to, those islands and, after glancing at the recent troubles m the Hawaiian group, and deprecating the proposals for a protectorate put forward by the foreign residents of the latter, which it is contended would speedily lead to the partition of the islands, the article concludes as follows ; — " Both the Samoan and the Hawaiian groups of islands are m the line of the two most important avenues of foreign commerce left open to us that are not dominated bjr far off European nations. The former are almost oa fh.e direct roue between our Pacific coait sad Australaeta, and the latter constitute an important stopping pl^ce between the United States and Eas«jrn Asia. Siace the completion of (he £ap»djan Pacifc

Railway and the establishment of an Imperial highway across ihe North American continent to China, Japan and Australasia, England has had a covetous eye on both these island groups. Germany is not so much interested m Hawaii as m Samoa, and who knows what mulual arrangements may not have been arrived at between the astute German chancellor and i Great Britain, The ultimate prosperity ,of our foreign commerce, to say noth- ' ing of present interests, demand that we should not be shutout of all participa fion m the advantages these oceanic stations offer. Our present convention with the Hawaiian Government is at best a temporary aftair, and although we should strenuously oppose any proposition to annex the territory of these islanders, one of the first acts of our government should be to take unmistakable steps, before Germany tightens her grip on Samoa to the exclusion of all other nations, and before the control of the Hawaiian Islands passes from its present possessors, to ensure the independence or neutrality of these important island depots, or to secure our right to erjjoy them, co-equal with any power that may m future, on the grounds of some frivolous trouble with the natives, raise a. foreign flag over them."