The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-08-26
AN EPISODE OF 1902.
The DESTRUCTION OF The UNITED
STATES CRUISER MILPITAS OFF
DIAMOND HEAD.
How the Whole Theory of Modern
Warfare was Suddenly
Oycrthrown.
By e. ELLSWORTH CAREY.

On the 9th OF May, 1912, the AD
vERTIsER received special phone
gram from Lihue, Kauai, as follows:
The strange air-ship has been seen
again to day. For some time our
citizens have noticed an aIr-ship of I'M
usual pattern about the summit OF Wal
aleale. 1t seems to be of a better bui d
than the few aerieI vessels which have
been noticed III this country, and ore
peculiarly Of it is that on clear day it
is hardly discernable. 1t shows no en-
sign Or number, as is customary, and
the stranger is causing much comment.
The occupants Of the ship have it under
perfect control. and an ordinary wind
does not seem to effect its movements in
the least.
The reader will recall that our air.
navigation began to attract consid-
cradle attention about 1898. Several
air-sbips were constructed, and an
attempt was made to establish regu-
lar air lines from the United States
to other parts Of the world. But all
efforts to control the aerial vessels
iii a wind bad proved unavailing.
This rendered air-navigation uncer-
tain, aud the air ship companies
were not popular Their liues were
used 10 some extent for mail service
and the transportation Of light
freight, but the public had no con
fdence in them. Sometimes a
steamer would out-strip one across
the Atlantic, the steamer time being
four days, aud occasionally an air
craft would make the voyage in
twenty four hours.
Several air vessels after leaving a
place had never been heard from,
and many prophpsled that in a short
time they would be relegated to the
secoud- hand shops.
OF course their apparent useful
ness in time of war had caused the
whole matter of air navigation to be
carefully considered by the leading
powers. An attempt was made to
use them in the great Inter Euro
pean war which ragged from 1894 to
1896, but the results were not salts
factory. In one instance an army
division was destroyed in five min
utes by terrorite shells pitched out
Of an air boat, but something hap
pened to the machinery, and it was
soon dashed to pieces, having drop
ped within range of Hotchkiss
gun, specially mounted for sky prac
tice.
The United States Investigated
the matter at length, and as re-
suit of the report of the commission,
the Government decided that air
navigation could not be success
fully used as means of defense or
ofeDse.
This conclusion on the part of the
United States Government provoked
much adverse criticism. The op-
position organs asserted that the
Government had private reasons for
refusing to adopt On aerial system
Of defense; they said that 5000, 000,-
600 had been spent on a navy that
was practically useless, or would be
soon. La a short time an air ship
would be produced that would
answer all practical purposes. Such
a machine could hover over the
United States like an angel of death,
and with a few hundred shells of ter
rorite*, what could all the ironclads
of the world avail? An ordinary 100
pound shell filed with an improved
explosive, dropped from a hostile
air cruiser would destroy any vessel
afoat 1t one she'll was not suffi-
cient, another would finish the work.
And, given al air ship it is just as
easy to drop 1000 shells as one;
aud just as easy to PUNK a 500
pound bomb down a smokestack as a
penny cracker.
But ali this argument passed un
needed. The government had the
ironclad fever bad. Millions were
being spent for fast cruisers and
big guns, and about 1895 the United
States had navy equal to any two
European powers.
For some time prior to 1902, the
Hawaiian nation had claim before
the United States Government. The
claim grew out Of the tariff Of 1891,
when crude sugars from all countries
were admitted free of duty into the
United States. Previous to.this, a
treaty had existed between Hawaii
aud the United States, which gave
Hawaiian sugar in the United States
an advantage over sugars from other
counties. It was intended to place
tue Hawaiian planters on an equal
footing with the American cane-
growers. Tnis equality was to ex-
tend term Of years. Before the
treaty expired, the United States re
moved the inequality. If the letter
OF the treaty WAS not broken, the
iutent and design were thwarted. It
was claimed that the spirit of the
treaty was violated.
Hawaii suffered in consequence,
aud claim was made for recon-
pense. Tue justice of the claim was
acknowledged by many, but the
United States determined to disallow
the Same.
prry,oicos ,r,o,.o