356 THE ANNEXATION FEVER 



Viewed critically, our annexations of territor}' up to and includ- 

 ing the Mexican cessions were wise and have justified the foi'e- 

 sight of our statesmen. We needed Louisiana to control the 

 Mississippi ; the purchase of the Floridas settled a dispute of long 

 standing, removed Spanish power from our midst, and gave us 

 the entire Atlantic and Gulf coasts ; the addition of Texas sim- 

 plified our southern boundary, and the Mexican cessions rounded 

 up our area of jurisdiction into comjiact form. But why we 

 should have purchased Alaska is past finding out. A few of 

 our citizens have profited by the fur and fish trade, but the gov- 

 ernment has been embarrassed and put to much expense on ac- 

 count of this region, and more embarrassment and more expense 

 are certain in the future. 



The majority of our people wish to annex the Hawaiian islands. 

 For what reason it is difficult to see. Hawaii is 3,000 miles away 

 from our nearest shore. While the governing class is largely 

 made up of our own kin, the vast body of tbe population is 

 Kanaka, Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese — not b}^ any means 

 a desirable addition to our numbers. The annexation of these 

 islands would greatly increase our responsibilities and corre- 

 spondingly weaken us, without in any way adding to our well- 

 being. It is said that they will furnish us a coaling station in 

 the mid-Pacific. Under whatever jurisdiction these islands may 

 be, our vessels can coal there freely in time of peace. In time 

 of war our vessels will find occui)ation enough at home without 

 wandering away from the coaling stations on our shores. We 

 are not likely to take the offensive in a war with any first-class 

 power, especially a naval power. It is certain that in case of 

 war with such a power one of our first acts would be to give up 

 all such outlying dependencies, since their defense would be 

 utterl}^ impracticable. 



There is another side, however, to this Hawaiian matter. There 

 is no doubt but that the ruling class in Hawaii would be better 

 off under our jurisdiction than if isolated, or even under English 

 jurisdiction. Shall we, for their good, ignore the manifest dis- 

 advantages to ourselves of this union ? It may be doubted if we 

 have reached this stage of altruism. 



What has been written of Hawaii applies with much greater 

 force to Cuba, whose annexation has been actively urged, even 

 to the extent of offering to purchase the island from Spain. Why 

 should we want Cuba? An island, separated 'from us by sea, 

 sparsely populated by an alien, semi-civilized people speaking a 



