The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-09-04

WASHINGTON, August 9. - The
United States feet in Chinese and
japanese waters is to be promptly in
creased. At present only the Balti
more and Monocacy are on the China
Station. The former is at Chemulpo,
the seaport of Seoul, and the latter is
at Nagasaki. The Concord and Petrol
are on the way to Korea, where they
are expected to arrive in about three
weeks. As American commercial
interests in the East are so diversi-
fed, being of importance in China,
Japan and Korea, it is thought that
these four vessels are not enough
properly to perform the services re.
quired. II the fighting becomes more
serious off the Korean coast, at least
two vessels, it is thought, will be re-
QUired there. Under the present ar
rangements this would leave only two
ships to cruise about the Chinese and
japanese ports, with which the
United States has important CONNER
cial relations.
-AAAOAhl4lE W lNfJOl 70 SiNCA Oll az
the State Department, no time is to
be lost in taking steps to insure a Wig
orOus protection of American inter-
est5 in the East. Judging from re-
marks on the subject made today, the
Administration has profited by its
earlier experience in Brazil, and in
the present instance the principle
that an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure is to be observed by the
authorities, and some degree of haste
is to be shown. The Charleston, now
at the Mare Island Navy Yard, is to
be the first additional vessel dis
patched to the Far East. The ship is
now in good condition foI distant ser
vice, having just undergone thor
ough Overbauling. Orders have been
sent to Captain HOwison to hold the
Charleston ready for a cruise, and her
sailing orders will probably be issued
in a day or two. The Charleston will
90 directly to the China coast, touch
ing at Honolulu. She is expected to
reach her destination in about forty
days. Her special service will relate
to the protection of American inter-
ests in the seacoast cities throughout
the Celestial Empire. 1t is thought
that her presence in Chinese waters
will have much moral influence at
this time. To afford protection to the
missionaries who may require an asy-
lum in case of fanatic outbreaks by
Chinese, will be one of Captain Coffin's
special duties.
The next vessel to be sent to the
East will be the Newark, now near
ing Cape Town, with Admiral Kirk
land on board. At this place the ship
will be speedily drydocked. As soon
AS Admiral Kirkland reports the
cruiser ready for further service she
viii be dispatched to Japan. Cape
Town is less than 5000 miles from Ma
gasalzi, and the Newark, steaming at
the rate of ten knots an hour, ought to
cover the distance in about thirty five
days. When she leaves Cape Town
the san Francisco will be ordered to
Rio Janeiro as the flagship of the
South Atlantic Station. BY the addi-
ton Of these two vessels the strength
of the China squadron will be raised
to three cruisers, two handy gunboats,
especially designed fer river service,
and one sidewheel ship.
Commodore Carpenters command
is TO be further augmented as circum-
stances may require. The Raleigh,
now at Norfolk Navy Yard, is nearly
ready for sea. Ten days more will be
sufficient to complete her remaining
ordnance work. When ordered she
will 90 to the China Station by way
of the Suez Canal. The same may be
said of the Cincinnati, now undergo
ing completion at the New York Navy
Yard. Three weeks from today, il Is
said at the Navy Department, she
could start for Shanghai or Nagasaki.
The Castine and Machias also will
soon be ready for cruise. The inten-
ton all along has been to send these
two gunboats to China for river SER
vice more especially, and in view of
the present situation in the East it is
probable that their departure will be
FASTENED as much as practicable.
Within thirty days the Philadelphia
repairs will be finished, and she, too,
will be available for orders to the
East. Some of her boilers require re-
tubing and her bottom needs scra ping
and painting. The work is to be done
at Mare Island.
1t is not believed that the war will
interfere TO any great extent with the
of the United States with
those countries, particularly if the
treaty ports are neutralized by Euro
pean Powers, as it is proposed, and
blockades prevented. 1t is expected,
too, that the tea crop will be shipped
as usual, and sold at ordinary prices,
as it is already being gathered in
China and Japan, and at least one
steamer has already arrived at New
York with $4,000 or 10000 packages.
The stock of old tea on hand. both in
this country and in Europe, is said,
also, to be large, and there is no fear
of an immediate shortage. The pOpu-
lation Of China is so immense, and the
tea districts especially, are so densely
settled, that all the men that could
possibly be needed for war purposes
could be called away without inter-
fering in the least with the cultivation
or the gathering of the crop. AS a
man who is familiar with Chinese
affairs expressed it, "They might kill
1000. 600 men, and they would scarcely
be missed in the domestic industries
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