The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-04-29
THE VALUE OF OCEAN STATIONS.

Hawaii as a naval and repair sta
ton one point is to be remembered.
Although the United States Gov
eminent now has the right to use
Pearl River harbor, yet the conces- .
sion is not perpetual. 1t runs no
longer than the treaty Of which it /
forms part, and 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
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
a 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 INSTRUCTED by 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 &C.
cupancy 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
J for ships, strict adherence to the
rule of seeking and accepting nc
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
Il problem of coaling changed
this whole question. At first
r even under the reign o.
S steam, the auxiliary use of sails
q prevented the new necessities from
becoming less marked. But wher
yards and masts disappeared, as or
our latest and most powerful ships
e except the short military masts
used for observation and for placing
9 machine guns in the tops, the prob
lem of foreign coaling stations be
came imperative. The Monterey
could not now reach Honolulu witt
2 the coal in her bunkers, so that she
e would have to use such further
> supply as might be taken on he
decks under favoring circumstances
i or be carried by convoy. Her case
is exceptional, as that of a vesse
built for coast service; but ever
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 o
) a neutral to be treated as an enemy
l in extending coaling privileges t.
i belligerent ship.
Great Britain has an abundance
Of coaling stations on the furthe
= side of the Pacific. At Singapore
y at Hongkong, at Sydney, and a
y Wellington her ships can suppl.
Il themselves. She has a regula
e coaling station now at the Fijis
- and she possesses other islands il
! the Pacific which can be utilized
" for the purpose if required. Witt
) Hawaii in our possession, it woulC
" be easy to fit up dry dock anC
> repair station that would suppl,
all the wants of our navy and GU
= commercial marine in the Pacific
i, Maui Norl- SDp