one State to another.

Japan has entered a formal protest against the annexation.

She claims that she has perpetual treaty rights with Hawaii; that is to
say, that her treaties can never be ended. She declares that the
Annexation Treaty must not have any clause cancelling existing treaties
with other nations. Such a clause would seriously damage her interests.

This protest from Japan comes in some degree from injured feelings.

Japan complains that throughout her disagreement with Hawaii she
recognized the interests of the United States, and caused copies of all
papers relating to the matter to be sent from her embassy to this
Government.

Despite this courtesy on her part, she was kept in complete ignorance of
the Annexation Treaty. When rumors of such an arrangement reached her
minister, he went to the State Department to make inquiries, and claims
that Mr. Sherman did not give satisfactory answers, but seemed purposely
trying to keep Japan in ignorance of the true state of the case.

Mr. Sherman replied to this protest that there can be no such thing as a
perpetual treaty.

According to his point of view, a treaty, no matter how strongly drawn,
must end when one of the countries that made it ceases to be a nation
any longer. Should the Senate ratify the treaty, Hawaii will become a
part of the United States, her life as a nation will be at an end, and
her treaties will cease with her.

Mr. Sherman reminds Japan of the treaty between Japan and the United
States that will go into effect in 1899, and which will give her the
same privileges she had with Hawaii. He adds that if she is not content
to wait the two years till the United States treaty begins, arrangements
can be made to cover the intervening period.

* * * * *

There is a good deal of gossip over the fact that Mr. Sherman put his
signature to the Annexation Treaty.

From various speeches in the Senate, and from statements in his memoirs,
it was believed that he was strongly opposed to the annexation of
Hawaii. It is rumored, indeed, that Queen Liliuokalani based her
strongest hopes of regaining her throne on the belief that the Secretary
of State was opposed to the treaty and would use his influence to
prevent its being ratified.

Mr. Sherman, however, states that while he was opposed to such a step at
one time, the trouble between Hawaii and Japan has caused him to change
his mind, and he now thinks annexation