Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-16
VOICES OF THE PRESS.
In The military Aspect.
Boston Journal.)

(BOSton JOurnal)
The question Of the annexation of Ha-
wall is a problem Of military and COM
| mercial strategy.
| We do not seek to acquire the islands
for the sake of their population, or for
the sake of their natural resources. They
might be barren and unnhabited rocks.
and vet the possession Of them would be
almost as essential to the security Of our.
coasts and to the extension of our trade
| in the Pacific. They are set off against
our western seaboard just as Bermuda is
| set off against our eastern seabOard.
Thrice, In 1775-S3, in 1928 and 1S6l-G5, we
have bitterly realized what it meant to
| have Bermuda in the possession of an
enemy. As Bermuda. to quote British
official phrase, holds pistol to the
Charleston and Savannah, so Hawaii
| holds pistol to the head of Portland,
| San Francisco and San Diego
| 1t is this vital fact and the equally
| commanding position OF the islands on
| the great Pacific trade routes which have
| led American statesmen from Webster
and Marcy to Lincoln. Seward, Grant
| Blaine and Harrison, to believe and to
| declare, as the Journal has previously
| shown, that Hawaiis ultimate destiny
| was annexation to the United States.
! This attitude has been deliberately taken
| by the wisest and greatest men who have
| controlled civil affairs In response to
| the earnest counsel of the foremost sol
| More than twenty years ago Gen. John
NJ. Scholield who Is now living in honor
! able retirement. after having risen to the
| supreme command of the United States
army, was sent to Hawaii to make a
| careful study of the islands from the
| standpoint of the professional soldier
These are his conclusions as he formally
| reported them to Congress on his return:
THE Hawaiian Islands constitute the
| only natural outpost to The defences OF
ia Pacific N of for
| eign naval power. in time of war. as a
depot from which TO fit out hostile expe-
| ditions against this coast and our com
merce on the Pacific. they would afford
| the means of incaiculablc injury 10 tho
| United States. If the absolute neutrality
| of the islands could always be secured
that would suffice: but they have not and
never can have the power to maintain
their own neutrality. and now their nee
essities force them to seek an alliance
| with some nation which can relieve their
embarrassment. The British Empire
stands ready to enter into such an al
lance. and thus complete its chain of ma.
val stations from Australia To British
Columbia. We cannot refuse the islands
the little aid they need. and at the same
time deny their right to seek 1t else
where. The time has come when we
must secure forever the desired control
over these islands or let them pass into
other hands. The financial interest To
the United States involved in this treaty
Is very small. and II IL were much great
err IL would still be insignificant when
compared to the importance OF such q
military and naval station TO the ma
tional security and welfare.
In public statement in 1893, and again
In his autobiography. "forty-six years in
the army" which the Century Company
has lately published. Gen. Schoiield reit- |
crates these statements in even stronger |
terms. Turning from the army to the ma |
Wy. We meet the same authoritative. en- |
al s.Y.fn
Thayer Mahan. the distinguished author |
Of Sea Power in History. presented in |
the Forum for March. 1893. n remarkable |
article on Hawaii and Our Future Sea |
Power" which forms part Of his volume. |
THE Interest of America in Sea Power. |
Present and Future. that has just been |
published by Little. Brown * Co. In this |
article Capt. Mahan describes the Ha- |
waiian group as possessing unique I'M |
portance-not from its intrinsic CONNER |
cial value. but from its favorable position |
for a maritime and military control.
THE United States, he adds. lis by far
the greatest in numbers. interests and
power of the communities bordering upon |
the eastern shores of the North Pacific |
and the relations of the Hawaiian Islands |
to her naturally would be and actually |
are more numerous and more important |
than they can be to any other state. He |
continues:
THE serious menace to our Pacific |
coast and our Pacific trade if so impor-
tant a position were held by possible |
enemy has been mentioned frequently in |
the press and dwelt upon in the diplo- |
matte papers which from time to time are |
given to the public. 1t may be assumed |
that ii is generally acknowledged. Upon |
one particular. however. too much stress |
cannot be laid. one to which naval officers |
cannot but be more sensitive than the |
general public. and that is the immense |
disadvantage to us of any maritime en- |
envy having a coaling station we'll within |
,l,,l los c nj
every point of our coast line from Puget |
Sound to Mexico. Were there many 9th |
ers availab BILE. we might find it difficult to |
exclude from all There is. however. but |
the one Shut out from the Sandwich |
Islands as a coal base. an enemy is |
thrown back for supplies of fuel to dis |
tances of thirty-tve hundred or foul |
thousand miles-or between seven thou |
sand and eight thousand going and COM |
ing-an impeachment to sustained mari |
time operations well nigh prohibitive |
The coal mines of British Columbia con- |
stitute. of course. qualification to this |
statement. but upon Them If need arose, |
we might hope at least to impose some |
trammels by action from the land side |
1t is rarely that so important factor |
in the attack or defence of a coast line |
OF sea frontier-is concentrated in a sim |
gle position; and the circumstance rem
ders doubly imperative upon us to secure |
il. if we rightfully can.
Neither Gen. Schofield nor Capt. Mahan |
is in the least impulsivc or aggressive in |
temperament. Both are solid. cautious |
men. well as accomplished masters of |
their profession. Gen. Schofield is the |
greatest of the surviving lieutenants of
Grant and Sherman. Capt. Mahan is the |
foremost authority. not only in America |
but in the world. on the larger problems |
of naval strategy The opinions of these |
two great Americans deserve to have |
and will have, powerful weight with their
fellow -cOuntrymen.