The sun., 1893-08-14
Our Ships in the Pacific.

The defeat and surrender OF Chief MA
TAAFA, In Samoa, with the restoration OF
peace there. will take away any immediate
need OF sending one OF our cruisers to Apia.
1t may have caused the Government somo
chagrin that the rebellion in the islands
should have run It's course while no Ameri-
can naval force was there. But with the
Alliance required both at Callao and Corlnto.
and the Boston and Adams at Honolulu, no
vessel could be sent there except the Phila-
delphia, which. on arriving at Valparaiso.
was to have been directed to Apia. The
crisis came In Samoa before she reached
Valparaiso. and hence 1t was British and
German vessels only that sailed for the
island Of Manono. and demanded and re-
ceived the surrender Of MATAAFA. he and
his chiefs giving themselves up to the Brit
ish ship Katoomba.
Tho rebellion in Samoa being now over.
the Philadelphia becomes available for
Callao. whence the Alliance was recently
hurried away to Corinto. The excited elec-
tion canvass in Peru is ominous OF trouble.
and very soon, also, the important Ques-
tion is to be put to popular vote. whether
the conquered nitrate region now for ten
years under Chili's control shall be perma-
nently annexed to that country or restored
to Peru. But as soon as the troubles in
Argentina and its nelghborhood are settled
the Yorktown can continue on her way
around Cape Horn and take station on the
coast OF Peru, while the Philadelphia is ex-
pected soon to proceed to Honolulu. where
the Boston needs to be relieved in order
that she may be docked and overhauled at
Mare Island. Tho Charleston will mean
while follow in the track Of the Yorktown.
1t becomes more and more evident that
the Pacific is to be a leading scene OF
our activity in the near future. requiring
a very large proportion Of the available
naval force. That it Is now far more i'm
portant than the European station, which
used to be 30 prominent. Is obvious. For
several years. indeed. the European station.
prior to its late revival. had been given up.
An occasional visit Of vessel for some spe-
cial purpose. like the Baltimore's to Sweden
with tho body Of Ericsson. or that Of the
Columbian celebration, was substituted for
regular station. Occasionally we have
little trouble with Turkey about the mis-
sionaries. or perhaps with Morocco: how
ever. it generally yields to diplomatic
treatment. But in the Pacific there are
many important duties to be performed.
With Hawaii a point Of supreme naval
consequences: with patrol duty in Behring
Sea certain to last for years. whatever the
future Of the sealing industry: with Samoa
demanding attention. through the guaran-
tees Of our country as one Of the treaty
powers; with troubles constantly occurring
in Central and South America, from Qua
temala to Chill; with the growing impor-
tance Of the Isthmus and the extension Of
our Pacific commerce. there have been for |
some time tasks exceeding In number and |
the ability Of our little naval |
force there to accomplish.
But henceforth we shall see a continuous |
reinforcement Of the Pacific squadron with |
some Of the best vessels in the navy. That |
policy had already begun as matter Of ne |
cessity during the trouble with Chilli, when |
the greater part Of the steel vessels were |
temporarily withdrawn for the review |
on the Atlantic coast. 1t was a step OF |
vast importance when the building of war |
vessels Of the very highest types. includ- |
ing battle ships. coast defenders. and |
twenty-knot cruisers. was begun in San |
Francisco. 1t was another great step when |
Congress founded a naval station in Puget |
Sound. 1t would be a third great one |
should a heavy gun factory be established
on the Pacific slope. to provide the arma-
ment for its land defences.
Why should there not be both North |
Pacific and South Pacific squadron. each
with Its own flagship and Admiral. Just as
we have North Atlantic and q South At
lantic squadron Our interests in that great
ocean demand such an increase and distribu-
tion Of our naval resources as soon as prac-
ticable. The Asiatic squadron. to which the
Concord has already been sent. and which
will soon be reinforced by the Baltimore,
can also. besides looking after our interests
In China and Japan, lend hand. II needed.
to this side of the Pacific.