The Republican journal., 1896-04-23
The Republican Journal Thursday Morning, April g. 1896

llttle OF these forts and may not even sus-
pect their existence. They are mostly
Underground and the surface overgrown
with dense vegetation shows nothing
more alarming than the long armed sema-
phore, which signals the welcome ap-
proach OF mail steamers and ocean
"tramps'
All this impresses anew upon the
American mind the mortifyinp fact that
while nearly every other civilized country
has its station in the West Indies. the
United States has not one in the archi-
pelago which begins at our very doors.
Even Spain, in its decadence, still holds
Cuba and Porto Rico, though likely to
lose both before long. Holland has Cura-
Goa and the five adjacent islands; France
has Martinique, Gaudaloupe, St. Barthole-
NEW and part of st. Martins, LIE Deserade,
Maria Galante and Langlade; while Eng
land, the champion grabber of the world.
has, as usual, the lions share Among
her possessions on our side of the rlobe
are Barbados, Jamaica the two Cav
mans, 600 or more islets of the Bahama
group, the Turks and Caicos, Antigua,
Bermuda, st. kits, Nevis, Dominica
Montserrat, Grenada and all the little
Grenadies, Saint Vincent, Trinidad, To-
ba&o, most of the Leeward, Wind ward
and Virgin islands-to say nothing of
Halifax up north and the Bermudas a
little farther eastward. Although in time
of peace England maintains her innumer-
able small possessions mostly for coaling
purposes, and turns many honest pennies
selling the indispensable black diamonds
to the merchantmen of other nations. She
has plenty of them, well garrisoned and
fortified with up-to- date armaments to
maintain her supremacy in case Of war,
even ID American waters, from one year 5
end to another, asking odds of nobody
and keeping our vessels entirely on the
defensive. We have no longer cause to
be ashamed of our navy, but if trouble
should occur with Spain, or England. or
any other country, the question of where
our vessels would coal is a serious one.
Modern Improvement has not yet gone
so far as to produce a ship which can
steam for an indefinite time without re-
plenishing its coal supply; and nowhere
Dor of our own where supplies may be
stored. When war vessels were propelled
by sail, it was quite another matter
For those that go by steam it is as nee
essary for them to enter port every five
or six days, to take on coal as for her
crew to cat at intervals, or for our great
railway lines to have water tanks and sup
ply stations along their routes. In case of
war our new fighting ships would not cut
much of figure if compelled to PIT back
a thousand miles or so, once every week.
to take on coal. The annoying detentions
to which our vessels We're subjected in
their pursuit of rebel privateers during
taught us a lesson. Then, as now. we
had plenty of coal for export, but on ac-
count of the customary neutral Testric-
tons, were not allowed to land it on for
eign territory for the use of our navy dur
ing time of war, and 50 became entirely
dependent upon unsympathizing Eng and
for means to reach the sea. BY rare good
fortune, our mistake of other davs NAV
now be 1ectified by the purchase OF the
Danish group, if we have the good sense
to act promptly in the matter otherwise
Germany will buy the islands. or mavbe
England. \ better island for our purpose
than St. Thomas could not be found, and
it can be bought at an exceedingly reason
able rate, with san Jan and st. Croix
thrown in. President Cleveland. though
SO far non committal, is believed to look
upon the purchase with a favorable eve,
while Secretary Olney and others high ip
authority and influence openly advocate
it. FANNIE B. WARD.