Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-25
STRATEGICAL POINTS.
The West Indian Waters in Which Our Fleets
Have Been Called to Maneuyer.

| The West India islands, the probable
I scene Of many great naval battles in a
war between the United States and Spain.
have had more than their share of fight
ing since the romantic days of the Span
| ism main, when England Wrested from
Spain supremacy on the sea. Nearly ey-
| cry one of the islands that curve about
| the Caribbean SEA played a part in the
struggles between Spain and England in
| the seventeenth. and England and France
| in the eighteenth centuries
! Besides Havana and MatanZas in Gu
| bd. Spain has but one fortified harbor
among the Antilles. San Juan Barrista
or St. Johns in Porto Rico. 1t is an ex-
cellent harbor and could be strongly de-
Tended by the Viscaya and Oquendo with
the torpedo boats against our squadron.
But the latter alone could do nothing in
St. Johns against our battleships The
| Notifications are oii-fashioned and the
guns are useless against iron ships
In southern Cuba, the harbor of Santa
go de cuba could be defended with a
weak force, as the entrance is narrow
and deep with forts naturally strong. The
forts are not modern, however, and the
Spanish government holds but limited
area around the city. so that the Spanish
will probably make the main defense at
Havana and everything be made subsery-
lent to holding the capital
The sympathy of both of the black re-
publics in Hayti is with the United
States as against any European power.
moments consideration of their history
will explain this. The two republics
ilayti in the West and San Domingo in
the East. are the only countries in the
West Indies whose form of government
is like our own-cXccpt, of course, the
republic of Cuba. TOussaint TOuver-
lures successful struggle against France
| and his capture by treachery. followed
| by the complete expulsion of the French.
| is one of iberty's favorite tales. The
| Spanish invaded San Domingo in 1851 and
| their defeat left the islanders free.
| There are quite Il million people on the
island. bat they daily on the way to civ
| ilizati0n. There is no army. so Haytis
| only use to us would be in lending US a
| harhor. There are no harbors on the
north coast, but Port Au Prince in the
| republic of Hayti is a well protected port
| lying behind the Island of Gonnaive. In
the Dominican republic there are the
| harh0rS of Santo Domingo and Porta
| Plata. which would make convenient
bases for operations i'll the Caribbean.
The Mona Passage. only sixty miles
wide separates Hayti from the beauti-
| full island of Porto Rico. Porto Rico is
Il valuable possession and Spain is put
ting up arich stake on turn of the war
cards when she risks her control of that
fertils island.
St. Johns is an ancient townThe old
buildings are curious and interesting, es-
! pecialy the palace which was erected by
| Ponce de Leon. who conquered the island
| for Spain The principal city on the
habiIants. situated three miles inland
| Mayaguez on the west coast contains 30
900 people. Ii is separated from its port
| by a river Spawned by an iron bridge.
| There is a barracks here but no fort.
The other Seap0rts of Porto Rico do not
deserve notice. Their harbors-as in fact
is the case with all the harb0rs of the
| Sland-are rapidly filling up with silt
and are dangerous to heavy vessels.
| In the group of the Virgin Islands to
the east. only the two Danish Islands
St. Thomas and St CroiX are probable
| factors in the present situation. Their
! Importance would be considerably great
er if they had been secured by the United
States. as was at one time suggested by
! our state department. The harbor OF
| St. Croix Is unfortiiied and not more than
| sixteen feet deep, SO that 1t can not be
! of much service as Il base. The island IS
| Il hill that rises 100 feet out OF the wa
ter. Denmark bought it from France For
| $l45. 800 in 1883.
St. Thomas Is but 100 miles away from
St. Johns. The harbor is nearly land-
| locked and has depth of thirty-six feet
dry dock is here and a steam sup lor
small vessels. There is no more pleasing
sight in the Indies than the harbor OF
Charlotte Amalie, the capital. and the
towering peak fifteen hundred feet hish
| which forms the bulk OF the island.
Point Ptre, in Guadeloupe. is an I'M
| portant station. That it has a fine mill
tary harbor may be concluded from us
soubriquet. THE Gibraltar of the An
| TILES" Nevertheless this Gibraltar is NOT
as strongly fortified as it might be. ~
resisted the English successfully in lode,
| 81 and 1903. but was taken by Gen. bar
| rington ana Admiral Moore in los Inc
celebrated victory of Rodney over Admir-
al de Grasse occurred here. curious
| feature of the island is La Rivere Safe
tsalt stream 10 to 440 feet wide, Which
| divides it. ..
| Martinique is not n great strategic
point like Guadeloupe but there are
| some interesting things about 1t. Mount
| Pelee ,aleSt of its volcanic mountain
| peaks, rises 1890 feet in the air. the pop
ulation is nearly as dense as that OF bei
GUM there being $4,000 people 10 an
/ ISLAND with greatest length and width
jforty-three and nineteen miles respec'
lively. The place enjoys greater linu .
nlty from hurricanes than the other Wess
Indian islands, and the houses may W
tbniu there to a height of several stores
| The British possession Dominica IL
large island without harbor.