, 1889-02-28
THE NAYiE COMMISSION.

y representative OF The ARGUs cIllcd
yesterday upon Gen. G. z. Ihrie, lat,
inspectrr general on the western wa
| staff of Gen. U. s. Grant, aud of the U
:. army, with q view to getting tha
geut!eman's views on the location OF the
naval station.
EltoF-Whea will the Navy Commits
siou he here?
G're-al-I don't know when the nava
commission will be here, and doubt il
! th-y themselves know the exact day. II
they examine BelIingham bay before
this place they will not be here till al
least next Saturday. Capt. Mahon told
me in POI tIand he would let me know
the precise day they would be here il
possible.
Edilor-How were you impressed with
the commission?
GenerIi-Most pleasantly. officially
ami socially. They have heen specially
selected from the home regular naval
officers of our country who have no pro-
fessiongl supeEiors on this planet, for
their general qualifications FOR this i'm
portaDt duty, involving the expenditure
of milli1ns of dollars. And here, par
parenthesis, you see the wisdom OF
having a surplus rather than deficien-
cY il our national treasury. and il the
Iacomalites and Seattleites think they
can influence the judgement and verdict
Of these gentlemen by dining and wining
tLem they don't know the men. I hope
there will not be any sc-called "bau-
quet' given them here.
Editor-W Where, IL your Judgment,
will tie new navy yard he located?
Gen.--There are but two places worthy
of serious consideration; Port Townsend
first ana Port Discovery second, and any
''horse marine" can see that by looking
at any coast survey map. All other
places are out of the question. excepting
possibly Bellingham bay, and the good
people Of those aspiring towns are being
simply ticbled by the naval commission
in their examinations of their hooks in
the woods in accordance with the wishes
Of politicians i'll Washington. This, my
judgme At, formed % years ago, and L
have seen II all, is also the judgment of
many army and navy fficeTs and other
seafariug men, fully qualified TO judge.
TIE two principal reasons for this con-
clusion is: first. IT'S commanding posi-
ton; second, every possible requirement
is here. and more too. | hold its COM
ma aBdIug location, viewed from military
and navl! points OF offensive and defen-
sive warfare is of vital Importance. En-
gland, acting solely from the dictates of
practical common sense, has located her
navy yard at Esauimalt her head of
Fuca straits, and her key point ; and I
that We do the same for our side and at
our key point, and meet her, when ocea-
sion requires, ship for ship, gun for gun
man and man, right here at the head of
the straits. 1 don't propose We shall put
our tail between our legs like cur dog
at cowardly scrub and sneak off with
Our naval station aud war ships to some
inland hole for safely. If cewardIy
councils prevail, aud we have to hide
our war steamers in the woods, am in
favor of going to Olympia, Nhere no
canals and locks at can be so easily
knocked into smitbereens and destroyed
by dynamite will ba necessary, and
where no fresh water lakes will be
drained by dynamite crevaSses, to the
rnin, by wash-cutS, of miles of country
bordering on the Sound. II fresh water
Is to be the sine qua nor for O navy
yard or naval station on this northwest
Pacific coast, then We had better for the
reason o! economy 60 to Vancouver, al
though the mouth of the Columbia
river is the graveyard of the north
western contiLent for ilnamerable
wrecks of sailing vessels, steamers and
the q. $, sIoop OF war, "Peacock." The
new navy yard, If our government To-
Gates one in this section, will come here
or to Port Discovery. AID, in support
Of nay judgment, and to make the event
memorable, L will wager $500 against
s., 500, that time Wi! prove me correct,
tie money 10 so to the charitable insti-
tutions OF this, the "key point" OF Puget
Sound.
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