The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-10
Foreign Coaling stations.

The concurrence OF the two branches OF
Congress In an appropriation Of $4,000
for acquiring coallng stations, points to
some important activity In that direction.
The need of such stations Is specially great
for our country. because Its policy has
always been against holding colonies.
Great Britain. France, Germany, Spain.
Holland. and other maritime nations can
send their ships to coal In waters Of their
own In different parts OF the world. Even
Italy has acquired colonial possessions in
Africa. and while Russia's policy resembles
ours her navy does not cruise proportional
ly as much. perhaps. on foreign stations RS Is
the custom with some other great powers.
Great Britain has her coallng stations all
over the world. In the eastern heml-
sphere her vessels need only short runs any
where from Portsmouth around to Canton
or Sydney In order to reach from one sta
ton to the next In tho western hemi-
sphere her possession of Canada gives her
ports on both oceans. and in addition she
has Bermuda. Jamaica. and st. Lucia
Even in the long route from the latter. or
from British Guiana and Trinidad. around
the Horn to Taboga on the Isthmus. she
has the Falkland Islands about half way.
With our country. whatever is required Of
this sort must be purchased and fitted up
and held for a specific purpose. and not as
colony. After many years the station Mt
Pago Pago. on Tutuila Island. In the
Samoan archipelago. has been fitted
up. one OF the last acts Of Mr.. SEwAL1
having been to arrange for the COM
pletion Of tho transfer Of the needed
land. This. no doubt. Is an important
point to hold In case OF future emergencies;
and yet the lack OF actual need OF it up to
recent date was shown in the fact that al
though the right to establish station there
was acquired twenty years ago from the
local chief, not until the recent quarrels
between the Germans and the natives was
an attempt made to put 1t to practical
use. Our war ships are not apt to cruise
much in that part Of the Pacific. but since
they do 60 to Apla itself. which is almost
constantly a station for one vessel. a coal
ing depot should be established there.
Our war vessels. however. are more COM
monty found north Of the equator: and the
may some day become very impor-
tant. There are reasons for think
ing that this is particularly In view
under the present provision OF Con-
gress and it will be noticed that a
lively discussion occurred in the Hawaiian
Legislature about the time that Congress
was considering its appropriations for coal
ing stations. The difficulty with this is that
the lease OF the right to the station at Oahu
Is dependent upon treaty which expires
In few years. and In order to make it val
liable 1t would be necessary not only to
purchase land for the deposit Of coal. but to
remove the bar at the mouth Of the harbor
at much expense.
The need Of acquiring q station In the
West Indies Is very apparent and will be-
come moro 30 with the completion Of the
Nicaragua Canal. 1t seems possible that
the present appropriation may indicate the
revival OF opportunities for obtaining a
foothold in those waters. although for such
a purpose $25O.Ooo would not go very
far. even In arranging the preliminares
Perhaps next in importance would be
a station on the South American coast
Tho need OF this was shown during
last winters trouble with Chilli; and. in
deed. there Is no coaling station from
Key West all the way around South Amer
lea to Pichilingue Bay in the Gulf OF Cali
fornia. where our vessels In time OF war
would have the right to coal. Tho reduc-
ton OF sail power In modern war ships
makes the provision of foreign coaling
stations all the more important.