OUR AMERICAN LETTER. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTT.) San Francisco, October 20.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 420, 16 November 1889, Page 4

OUR AMERICAN LETTER. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTT.) San Francisco, October 20.

INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN CONVENTION. Proh vuly the most important event of the month \v!i3 the arrival of the delegates to the International American Convention. Some of the most prominent men in Southern and Central America aro now on their way through this country, the guests of the Government, tra\elling on a special train fitted up in the most gorgeous style. This Convention is designed, of course, to draw closer the bonds of relationship between the several nations of the Amorican Continent. Though the United SStatsc s has the advantage of propinquity, it is a fact that the bulk ot the youth American tiadc goes to other markets. English capital nourishes enterprise* on the bunks of the Plate, in Chili, Peru, and Paraguay. These communities borrow iro.ii English bankers, and their securities aie de.ilfc with chiefly in the stock exchanges of the Old World. Perhaps it is the fault ol the Americans that these Southern nations pieler English and European goods to the products and manufactures of the United States ; but the homo market hero is so enormous that there lias been but little attempt at pushing lor business outside. Year by year, however, thero is an increa.se in the manufactured pioduct ot this country, and the supply growing gi cater than the demand leads to the ioimution of trusts in all lines of business, These combinations ol capital are necessary, in fact, because ot the lack of foreign outlet. The congress of nations may change it all The delegates aie being treated with lavish hospitality. Travelling through the richest portion of the States, nothing is left undone to show them the natural beauties, the wealth and vigorous enterprise of the States. They are' being- made practically acquainted with what aie known here as "our institutions;" but theie is a good deal of tedium even about pleasuie of this description. Big towns are as plentiful in the Eastern States as beads on a chaplet, and e\eiy one of them insists on treating the delegates to a banquet. Speeches follow, of course, and these victims boar time and again the same platitudes about increase ot trade, a combined continent, defiance of the world, etc. Of course, all thi.s touring is the preface of the conference which begins about the middle of November. It has been agreed to avoid purely political questions. Among the topics to be discusssed are international avbitiation, the extradition of criminals, and a uniform currency. There will also be a good deal ol discussion about the Panama and Nicaragua canal routes, whose control is the subject ot a great deal of controversy. According to the Monroe doctrine, winch every President has enunciated, the United States proposes to resent the interference of any foreign power on this continent. Tho construction ot the Panama Canal by France has, as a matter of course, opened up this problem again. Now there is an opportunity of its arriving at a common understanding, and deciding on a common policy on thi-> most important subject. Of course, there is little use in expecting too much from the Conference. Secretary Blame. who has been elected the presiding officer, enunciated his belief that " friendship avowed with candour, and maintained with good faith, will remove from the Amorican States the necessity ot guarding t-he boundary lines between themselves with fortifications and a military foice." The sentiment and its expression are, of course, elevated and highly desirable, but, unfortunately, are decidedly Utopian. Discussions must turn principally on fiscal matters, if Mexico, La Plata, Chili, Brazil and Venezuela decide to adopt the dollars and cents currency of the U.S., and if the Congress which convenes on December Ist follows up the good work by subsidising American steamboat lines, as Creat Biitain, France, and Germany has done, this conference will undoubtedly lesultvcry beneficially to American commerce.

THE MARITIME CONFERENCE. The delegates to the Maritime Conference havo all anivedin Washington, and the sessions ot this very important body have already commenced. They wore all presented to Sccietary Blame on the 16th in*t., by the Ministers of their respective countries, and were then addie»scd by that eloquent otlicial on the topics which they had been summoned to di«cuss. The mci easing intei course between nations lendeis. moie piesiing the necessity of cieating an international signal code - an unspoken language, to be undei stood by the nations of all languages in their meetings in the high sea.-. The prepaiation ot tin' 1 * code will be the first work undei taken by the committee, and discussion on it has already been inaugurated. It is based upon the " Revised international Rule's and Regulations for Preventing Colli&'ons at Se i contained in a circular is&ued by the United States Tieas-ury Depaitment in September, ISB7. It aflords a good starting point, being in a very convenient shape. After the regulations ha\e been thoroughly discussed they will be put in shape for hnal acceptance by a committee appointed for that purpose, who will be guided in their work by the expressions of the debaters. Another subject that will receive attention is in regard to the use of oil as a means of calming troubled waters?. The met chant marine o f England, France and CJermany have adopted its use in one form or another, and theie i& no longer any question as to its potency. The Conference will discuss the various methods of oiling the waves, and will then decide on the device beet calculated to distribute it. Rear- Admiral Franklain presides ovei the Conference. The delegates are all men of ominence — noblemen and naval ofh'ccrs, and the majority appear in their uniforms. All the maiitime nations, without exception, are represented. It is believed that the Conference will be productive of very many important reforms.

A HAWAIIAN PItOPOSAL. A national sensation was recently caused by the discovery that Secretary Rlaine was at work on a new treaty with the Hawaiian Government, the object of which is to have the United States guarantee the independence ot the Hawaiian islands. The proposed treaty prolongs the present reciprocity treaty indefinitely, and looks toward removing all trade barriers between the two countries by remitting duties in one count try on the pioducts of the other. Article IV. is the most important part of the document. In it the United States is made to guarantee the independence, autonomy and peace of the Hawaiian Islands. In return the Hawaiian Government agrees that it will not entertain treaties with other powers without submitting them first to the United States. A proposed supplement to the -article allows the United Statqs to send its forces into any port of the islands, and tjie forces bhall bo free to act " as may be necessary for the purppse of securing the independence and peaceful administration of the Hawaiian Government."