The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-10-07
UNITED STATES NAVAL
STRENGTH ON THE
PACIFIC,

San Francisco bay of a naval
training station, similar in design
to that which has proved so sue
cessful at Newport. The project,
it is understood, has the hearty
approval of Secretary Herbert,
and is in line with the proposal
TO establish a governmental gun
factory upon our western shores,
as also with the policy where
by the facilities for the con-
struction on the Pacific coast Of
quota Of the vessels for the new
navy have been fostered.
The increasing importance and
volume of the commerce of the Pa
cifc ocean are a sufficient warrant
for movement having for its OBJ
ject the strengthening of our naval
defenses on the western coast.
The time has long since passed
when the region beyond the Rocky
Mountains could be referred to in
the picturesque phrase of Daniel
Webster as Our Asia" implying
thereby a region remote from us in
miles, as we'll as in interest. To-
day America has her face no
longer turned exclusively east
ward. San Francisco has ceased
to be a mere back door to our con-
tinent, and day by day the net
work Of trade routes from that
port is becoming more compli-
Gated. Our vast commercial in
terests have to do with the peltries
and fisheries of the North Pacific,
with the Polynesian archipelagoes,
with the western seaboard of Cen
trail and South America; and,
above all, with China and Japan.
With the increase Of home manu-
features in the last named coun-
tries, and the loosening of the grip
of Great Britain upon their COM
merce, it is probable that they
may soon become large consumers
of our great southern staple, cot
ton; thus still further enlarging
our trade in that quarter.
But there are other reasons for
increasing our naval strength in
the Pacific and providing our forces
in those waters with a strong base
of operations. Little more than
ten years ago, outside of Great
Britain, whose interests were CEN
tered in remote quarters and did
not then conflict with ours, there
was no naval power on the Pacific
worthy of the name. Now all this
has been changed. In South Amer
lea has appeared Chile, the best
governed and most powerful of the
Latin American republics, with a
navy not to be lightly regarded.
The great British naval establish
ment at Esquimalt, BE-, is a new
and important factor. Russia has
constructed a strongly-fortified har-
Dor and naval rendezvous at Vladi-
vostock, where a considerable fleet
of commerce destroyers is being
maintained and constantly streng-
thened.
Japan, too, appears to be branch
ing out into new foreign policy of
somewhat aggressive character.
She has been adding to her
strength in ships, until now
she may be said to hold a
respectable rank as a naval power.
Some little time ago, while the
discussion of the Hawaiian annex
alton was at red heat, there was a
rumor current to the effect that
Japan might be disposed to go into
the business on her account and
annex the islands herself, if the
United States should neglect to do
80. Quite recently it was reported
that a Japanese naval force had
been dispatched to the Sandwich
Islands with peremptory demand
to the Provisional government at
Honolulu that the large colony of
Japanese laborers in Hawaii should
be treated in exactly the same
manner as are the subjects of Eu-
ropean nations, and be permitted to
enjoy the same privileges.
While the probability of any
complications of a warlike charac-
ter on the Pacific are extremely
remote, and while an increase of
our strength as a mere display of
Jingoism should not be encouraged,
it would be the part of wisdom to
be prepared for it before the emer-
gency shall have arisen. With all
the increased armament in recent
years of the powers bordering on
| that wide ocean there is no telling
whence might come a sudden call
for action.-Philadelphia Record.