The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-05-02
THE VALUE OF OCEAN STATIONS.

ton one point is to be remembered.
Although the United States Gov
eminent now has the right to use
Pearl River harbOr, yet the conees-
sion is not perpetual. II runs no
longer than the treaty of which it
forms part, and a failure to renew
that treaty, through the unwilling
ness of either party, or through
changed circumstances, would put
an end to its privilege.
Should any other nation gain
control in Hawaii, the United
States might as well bid goodbye
forthwith to its existing grant, and
and no substitute could be found
in the North Pacific. Island after
island, group after group, in Poly
nesia has passed into the posses
sion of England, France or Ger
many without objection from the
United States, and with no call for
compensation elsewhere such as
Germany is said to be about to
ask. The loss of Hawaii would
therefore mean the shutting out of
our commerce from any coaling
privileges exclusively its own
throughout the broad Pacific north
Of the equator. We should still
have a foothold in the South Seas,
far away, however, from the path Of
commerce between the United
States and Asia.
1t may be said that under a
joint protectorate the absolute
cession of Pearl River harbor could
be provided for. But that would
not give the secure possession
which would come with the archi-
pelago ours. Pearl River harbor is
within ten miles Of Honolulu, on
the same island, Oahu; so that a
power holding Honolulu would
seriously threaten it. England has
navy vastly stronger than ours,
but with Hawaii ours the entrance
to Honolulu could be made secure
and impregnable.
Another point to keep in mind is
that the entrance Of Pearl River
harbor is obstructed by a coral reef
which permits only vessels Of a
light and medium draught to cross
it. To make the anchorage avail
able for our heavy warships this
reef will have to be blasted, and
100000 or more may be required
for this purpose and for the erec-
ton of wharves and buildings. But
in annexing Hawaii the harbor
of Honolulu becomes ready for oc-
cupanry without resort to Pearl
River harbor.
The substitution Of steam for
wind as the motive power of vessels
has had a great influence on the
value of island possessions for the
great maritime nations. So long as
sails were the only appliances used
for ships, strict adherence to the
rule of seeking and accepting no
foothold apart from the mainland
of America, with its keys and coast
islands, was possible for our coun-
try. But when steam machinery
took the place Of sails the
problem of coaling changed
this whole question. At first,
even under the reign of
steam, the auxiliary use of sails
prevented the new necessities from
becoming less marked. But when
yards and masts disappeared, as on
our latest and most powerful ships,
except the short military masts
used for observation and for placing
machine guns in the tops, the prob
lem of foreign coaling stations be-
came imperative. The Monterey
could not now reach Honolulu with
the coal in her bunkers, SO that she
would have to use such further
supply as might be taken on her
decks under favoring circumstances
or be carried by convoy. Her case
is exceptional, as that of a vessel
built for coast service but even
our battle ships in the Pacific would
need a coaling station like Hawaii.
In time of war the necessity be-
comes greater from the liability Of
a neutral to be treated as an enemy
in extending coaling privileges to
a belligerent ship.
Great Britain has an abundance
of coaling stations on the further
side of the Pacific. At Singapore,
at Hongkong, at Sydney, and at
Wellington her ships can supply
themselves. She has q regular
coaling station now at the Fijis,
and she possesses other islands in
the Pacific which can be utilized
for the purpose if required. With
Hawaii in our possession, it would
be easy to fit up q dry dock and