The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-29
The Stations Are Largely Held
by the British, Who Are
ExOrbitant.
OWNERSHIP MEANS ECONOMY
Secretary Herbert May Recon- mend
to Congress the Purchase of
Suitable Sites.

| w ASdINGION, IL. u, April Zo.-Int
recent experience of Admiral Meade in
his cruise with squadron through thu
waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Car
ibbean Sea has served to again attract the
attention of the officials of the Navy De
partment to the necessity of acquiring at
least one or two coaling stations in these
waters for the use of the navy. Although
the cruise lasted only few weeks the diff
| hculty of procuring sufficient supply Of
coal at different points and at reasonable
price has strikinnly indicated the trouble
that may be expected when it shall be
necessary to maintain for long periods OF
time, or perhaps permanently, a number
cruising gunboats in these waters. Such q
contingency is being prepared for by the
construction of mum Der of boats calcu-
lated for just such service.
The sources of coal supply in that Sec
ton are at present largely in British pos
sessions. The price is always high in some
ports, but it is very much higher in others,
being known to reach $156 ton at Colon.
Now that the navy has rid itself almost en-
tirely CT sail power and that the ships rely
altogether on steam the amount of money
expended in coal is assuming formidable
proportions and the naval officials are us
ing all their ingenuity to keep down this
expense without injury to the service.
Perhaps, for this reason, number of offic-
ers who had not regarded favorably the
proposition to establish coaling stations
OUTSIDE of the United States are now be-
coming convinced that such plan would
be decidedly in the interest of economy.
To- s IL, \ IL
prevent the paying of extortionate charges
for coal, the navy adopted the plan of con-
tracing with an American firm to deliver
coal alongside the vessels of the squadron
at some of the ports. This plan worked
well within certain limits, and a consider
able economy was effected. But there
were grave objections to the adoption of
such plan as permanency.
1t requires the arrangements of the
movements of the vessels of the squadron
with great exactness a long time in adj
vance, and this would be quite impossible
in times of trouble just when the ships are
required to be well supplied with coal so
as to be able to make sudden movements.
There is also reason to believe that, while
no objection has yet been made to this ex-
pertinent, the nations owning the ports
where the coal is transferred to our cruis-
ers will not permit the practice to continue
without the collection of heavy duties on
coal, and up to this time no thoroughly
satisfactory method has been found by
which the coal can be transferred on the
open sea.
But aside from these purely economical
reasons for the establishment of coaling
stations, stronger one Is found. In the
time of war, under the neutrality laws, our
ships would be excluded from the PRIV
ilege of coaling in foreign ports and would
thus be absolutely prevented from hostile
operations, if they did not fall easy victims
to an enemy better equipped with bases of
coal supply.
1t is said by naval officers that the COM
mon belief that these coal stations would
be very expensive to acquire and would be
required to be strongly fortified to defend
them, also at great expense, is without
real foundation. Some of these officers
who have been giving great attention to
the subject are confident that the United
States could readily arrange for the acqui-
sition of coaling stations from almost any
of the countries along the Gulf of Mexico
or the Caribbean Sea at nominal price.
Nothing in the way of equipment is ne
cessary except landing wharf, and the
services of man to watch the place would
OH ffioa