Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-01-11
GUARD THE COAST.
SENATOR MITCHELL ASKS MILLIONS
FOR DEFENSE ON THE PACIFIC.
Danger of Delay---British Military and
Naval Posts Menace the Safety
of the Pacific Coast
Defences.

WASHINGTON, January In the SEN
ate yesterday there was debate upon
proposed naval stations on the Pacific.
Senator Mitchell called up the joint reso-
luton introduced by him for the appoint
ment of commission to select Il site for
a naval station on the Pacific coast The
joint resolution makes it the duty of the
commission to examine the coast north of
the forty parallel of north latitude
in Oregon, Washington and Alaska, and
to select suitable site, having due
regard to the commercial and naval
necessities of that coast for a navy yard,
and to make full and detailed report to
the secretary of the navy, to be by him
reported to congress. Mitchell said that
while $5,000,000 had been spent for navy
yards and naval stations of which amount
only 5 per cent had been expended west
Of the Allegheny mountains, there was
only one navy yard ON the coast on which
about $3,0O0,O00 had been expended
One establishment, no matter how we'll
equipped, was wholly inadequate to meet
the wants Of the country on the Pacific
ocean. He contrasted with the indiffer-
ence or criminal neglect of the United
States government on the subject of naval
establishments, the care given by the
British, French, Russian, Italian and Ger
man governments to the building up of
great naval establishments. 1t was not
safe to act On the theory that
this country could, whenever the
occasion arose, provide for it,
BRITISH ENFORCEMENT.
The rapid environment of the Pacific
coast by important military and naval es-
tablishments, representing British infiu-
ence and British power, and the military
occupation by Great Britain of the islands
in the Pacific ocean was of itself a subject
which ought to arrest the attention of the
American people and prompt the govern
ment to such speedy and effective action
as should be Il fitting response to the for
midable extension of British power. The
whole country, north and west, was in
fact environed and menaced by cordons of
British military and naval establishments
and by lines of British railroads and
steamships which, in the event of war be-
tween Great Britain and the United States,
would give the former immense advanta-
ges. These forces would fall with unim-
peded.and relentless power upon the peo-
pie and industries and commerce of the
Pacific coast. Oregon,
Washington, and Alaska. with all their
limitless resources unprotected, would be-
come the sport and toy of Great Britain.
WORD FOR PUGET SOUND
Senator Dolph thought that Puget
sound possessed all the advantages that
could be found for a first-class naval sta
tion. The Importance of the suject could
not be underestimated. His colleague
had referred to the British influence in
the Hawaiian islands, but the United
States cannot permit those islands to pass
under the control of any European pow
er, becase their possession by any mod
ern naval power would give to that power
the control not only of the Pacific COM
merce of the United States, but also of its
coastwise commerce. We cannot afford
to allow foreign conquests and acqui-
sitions to be carried to our very doors; if
we do we shall abdicate the position of
which our power, our independendence,
our wealth, our location permit us to re-
tain among the nations of the earth. The
Joint resolution was referred to the COM
mittee &7n naval affairs.