Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 559: Evolution of the Situation in Hawaii

On July 7, the ocean-going fleet passed through the Anzhou Strait (Strait of Magellan) and passed by Easter Island.

On July 7, the fleet sailed westward and arrived at Tahiti.

Tahiti is second only to Samoa in the Izu Islands, with a land area of ​​1042 square kilometers and a permanent population of 6. It is one of the important military ports of the Pacific Fleet and the South Pacific Fleet.

Tahiti has abundant rainfall and beautiful natural environment, making it an ideal holiday destination. However, after acquiring sovereignty of the archipelago from France, Tahiti and its neighboring affiliated islands were all turned into military fortresses and naval ports, with 800 marines and 2000 militia reserves stationed on the island.

Two to four Yongxing-class light cruisers with a displacement of 2 tons are moored here all year round.

Every 2 to 3 months, the Pacific Fleet will also dispatch several medium-sized cruisers to patrol the waters along the Ishu Islands to ensure the safety and stability of the immigration route.

The ocean-going fleet stopped in the Tahiti Islands for three days to refuel and make a brief repair.

On July 7, the fleet set out again, and on July 20, it arrived in Samoa.

On July 7, the fleet was divided into two parts. The main fleet continued to dock for repairs, while the other part, consisting of an 26-ton Chaoyang-class ironclad ship, a 8500-ton armored cruiser, and two 3500-ton Yongxing-class light cruisers drawn from the South Pacific Squadron, turned north and prepared for a state visit to Hawaii.

On August 8, the squadron arrived in the Hawaiian Islands and met with Princess Liliuokalani, the regent of Hawaii.

During the talks, in order to get rid of the economic control of the United States, Princess Liliuokalani proposed that the two countries establish the best mutually beneficial relationship and applied to export tropical products such as sugar and coconut to the Han Kingdom. Minister to Hawaii Zhong Juncheng, on behalf of the Han Kingdom, verbally agreed.

On August 8, after a week of consultations, the two countries reached a package of cooperation agreements based on the 10 cooperation agreement.

The main contents of the agreement are as follows:

1 The two countries grant each other most-favored-nation treatment. Hawaiian agricultural products entering the territory of the Kingdom of Han enjoy the same treatment as local goods, and Han industrial and commercial products entering Hawaii do not need to pay additional tariffs.

2. The Han Kingdom rented 1 acres of land near the original base of Pearl Harbor for 2000 Han Yuan per year as an expanded Marine Corps military base. The size of the Han Kingdom’s troops stationed in Hawaii was expanded to 600 people. Hawaii allowed the Han Kingdom to dock two light cruisers with a displacement of less than 2 tons at Pearl Harbor. Large warships can temporarily dock at the port, and the docking time shall not exceed 2000 month.

3汉国以成本价，向夏威夷王国出售3000杆步枪、15挺重机枪，12门75毫米野战炮，2艘排水量760吨级海狮级炮舰，以及5个基数的弹药。

4 In the next three years, the Han Kingdom will draw officers from the army and navy to assist the Kingdom of Hawaii in establishing an army with a total strength of 3 troops and a small offshore fleet with a total strength of about 2000 troops.

5. Hawaii promises dual citizenship to Chinese citizens who have settled there. Chinese who have settled there for more than five years can receive the same political treatment as Hawaiian natives.

On August 8, Han and Hawaii officially announced their cooperation agreement. Princess Liliuokalani solemnly announced at the Royal Palace of Hawaii to representatives from various countries that from that day on, men of appropriate age would be selected from all over the island to join the army. The recruits would mainly be adult male natives of Hawaii. Chinese, whites, and Japanese could participate in the subsequent selection and assessment of the armed police.

As soon as the cooperation agreement was announced, it aroused strong opposition from Stevens, the American Minister to Hawaii.

Citing the Treaty of Reciprocity between the United States and Hawaii signed in 1875, Stevens argued that the cooperation agreement between the Chinese and Hawaiian countries violated the
The US-Hawaii Reciprocity Treaty required Hawaii and Han to stop infringing upon US interests and threatened military punishment.

On August 8, just as China, Hawaii and the United States were deadlocked over the issue of a new cooperation agreement, news suddenly came that King Kalakaua of Hawaii, who was living in San Francisco, was seriously ill and unable to attend to his duties.

On August 8, Princess Liliuokalani urgently summoned diplomats from China, Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, believing that the Americans were behind King Kalakaua's illness and demanded that the Americans restore King Kalakaua's personal freedom and send him back to Hawaii. The American minister tried his best to defend himself, but still failed to gain Princess Liliuokalani's trust.

At the meeting, Princess Liliuokalani reiterated the independent and autonomous status of the Kingdom of Hawaii and pleaded with China, Britain, France and Germany to uphold justice and maintain the security and stability of Hawaii.

After the meeting, Princess Liliuokalani privately summoned representatives from the Han Kingdom, Britain, France, and Germany, and put forward the Han Kingdom's suggestions, namely, opening the Hawaiian market to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Han Kingdom. Merchant ships and warships of various countries can temporarily dock in Hawaii, and the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Hawaii will be jointly guaranteed by all countries.

Hawaii is isolated overseas, far away from the sphere of influence of various countries. It is difficult for the Han Dynasty, Britain, France, Germany and other countries to maintain a heavy military presence in Hawaii. Therefore, in order to maintain Hawaii's independence, the Han Dynasty had no choice but to make this suggestion.

The policy of opening the market and allowing British, French, German merchant ships and warships to temporarily dock was equivalent to turning Hawaii into a public colony. However, if this was not done, it would be difficult to check the infiltration and expansion of the United States.

The United States controlled Hawaii earlier than the Han Dynasty. In 1874, the United States sent warships to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Hawaii and supported King Kalakaua to ascend to the throne.

After the opening of the South Pacific immigration route, the Chinese increased their influence on Hawaii, especially in terms of population. By August 1890, the total population of Hawaii reached 8, of which more than 26 were Chinese. As early as five years ago, they had replaced the Japanese to become the largest ethnic group in Hawaii.

In terms of population, the Han Kingdom occupies a clear advantage, but in terms of geographical location, whether starting from the western part of the Han Kingdom or Samoa in the Izhou Islands, it is far away from the west coast of the United States. In addition, the Han Kingdom's future expansion focus is on the mainland of South America and the Far East, and the main force of the navy is also concentrated on the Atlantic line. If a full-scale conflict breaks out in Hawaii, the Han Kingdom's navy will be out of reach.

Therefore, Britain, France and Germany were brought in to suppress the US political offensive externally, and to strengthen Hawaii's military strength internally to prevent the further expansion of US influence. This two-pronged approach was used to maintain Hawaii's independent status.

Although the United States is the closest to Hawaii, the distance is thousands of kilometers of sea. Without a foothold and internal coordination, it would not be easy for the U.S. fleet to go on an expedition across the sea with the cooperation of 15 Chinese people and the technological conditions of the late th century. It would not be easy for the U.S. army, which lacks stable supplies, to use force to forcibly annex Hawaii.

What the Han State needs to do is to delay as much time as possible and buy as much time as possible for local development. When the time is ripe and the Han State's power can be deployed to the South Pacific, there is no need to worry about the US threat to Hawaii. On the contrary, by relying on its population advantage, it may have a chance to peacefully evolve Hawaii and then turn Hawaii into a chain to block the US westward advance.

Princess Liliuokalani's proposal will only benefit all countries and will not cause any harm. Britain, France and Germany have no reason to oppose it.

On August 8, Hawaii, the Kingdom of Han, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France issued a joint statement, pledging to guarantee Hawaii's sovereignty and independence and that no country would use force to change Hawaii's ruling order.

On August 8, two US warships arrived in Hawaii. On the night of the 25th, with the cooperation of 27 American soldiers and 600 expatriates organized by American businessmen Durr, Thurston and others, a total of nearly 300 armed forces raided the Kingdom of Hawaii. The battle lasted for two hours. At 12:2000 a.m., more than 3 armed forces on the island, mainly young and strong Chinese on the island, including some indigenous people, British and French expatriates, launched an attack on the US army. At o'clock in the morning, the US army and expatriate armed forces were repelled, and Princess Liliuokalani was transferred to the Pearl Harbor base of the Han Kingdom under the protection of diplomats from various countries.

On August 8, the docked Han warships confronted the US fleet.

On September 9, fleets from various countries, including three British warships, two French warships, and two German warships, arrived in Hawaii. A total of more than 5 warships of various types confronted the US fleet of only two ships.

On September 9, Princess Liliuokalani issued a proclamation strongly condemning the United States' criminal acts of invading Hawaii and launching military and political attacks, announcing the cancellation of all unequal treaties with the United States, the recovery of leased ports and lands, and demanding that U.S. troops withdraw from the land of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

On September 9, after a series of consultations and debates, all parties reluctantly reached a consensus.

1 China, Britain, France, and Germany received the same treatment as the United States. The five countries guaranteed the sovereignty and independence of Hawaii, and no country could sign an agreement with Hawaii involving the interests of other countries alone.

2. Military bases of various countries in Hawaii shall not be expanded further based on the standard as of September 1890, and the number of troops stationed by various countries shall not be increased.

3 The countries guaranteed that after King Kalakaua's death, Princess Liliuokalani would take over, and that the countries would not interfere in the internal affairs of the Hawaiian royal family.

As the five countries reached an agreement, warships from various countries returned one after another, and the situation in the Kingdom of Hawaii gradually returned to stability. At this time, Japan put forward its opinion, demanding equal status with the five countries on the grounds that Japanese residents were the second largest population group in Hawaii, but was unanimously opposed by all countries.