The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-07-07
ANNEXATION
OF Hawaii is Favored by Hon. Seth
w. BrOwn-His Speech in the
House OF Representatives.
Mr.. Brown said

Mr.. Speaker: shall not now discuss
the subject of Hawaii further than to
state in the briefest way the reasons
why shall vote for it's annexation. The
acquisition of Hawaii is not the first step,
or any intermediate step, in any policy
Of territorial aggrandizement
Hawaii ia presented to us on it's own
peculiar valne as future possession
OF the United States This value il
found in the location of the island in
the center of the North Pacific Ocean,
and in the fact that, according to the
highest military and naval authorities,
it will in all time to come be essential
to successful offensive or defensive oper
ations by our government in the waters
of the Pacific. Situated about 2,1OO
miles west of San Francisco, the island
furnishes harbor for our fleets which
would be foolish not to secure at this
most favorable opportunity.
Captain Mahan, the well.known au.
thority on naval offairs, says: "From
military point of view the possession of
Hawaii will strengthen the United States.
OF course, as is constantly argued, every
addition of territory is ~ additional ex
posed point; but Hawaii IS now exposed
to pass under foreign domination, nota.
bly, Japan, by peaceful process OF over
running and assimilation. This will in.
evitably involve it's possession by for.
eign power, grave military danger to
us, against which preoccupation by the
United States is, in my judgment, the
only security"
Captain Mahan further declares:
"With this reservation a greater navy
would not be needed for the defense of
the Pacific coast than would be required
with the islands unannexed. FIVE have
the islands and in the Pacific fleet of
proper force, the presence of the latter,
or of an adequate detachment from it, at
the Hawaiian Islands will materially
weaken, if not wholly cripple, any at.
tempted invasion of the Pacific coast,
except from British Columbia, and con.
sequently will proportionately strength,
en- u.s."
George W. Melville, Engineer in Chief,
United States Navy, declares that: !:
"Pearl Harbor is the sole key to the full
defense of our western shores, and that
key should lie in our grasp only"
1t is this key which we propose to
grasp by the annexation of Hawaii.
Gen. J. M. Schofield, in a letter to
Senator Morgan, speaking of Pearl Har
Dor, declared: "To illustrate my views
on this subject, have likened that hsr.
Dor to commanding position in front
OF defensive line which an army in the
field is compelled to occupy. The army
must occupy that advanced position and
hold it, at whatever cost, or else the en-.
emy will occupy it with his artillery and
thus dominate the main line. If we do
not occupy and fortify Pearl River Har.
Dor our enemy will occupy it as a base
from which to conduct operations against
our Pacific coast and the Isthmian Canal,
which must, of course, in due time, be
constructed and controlled by this coun.
try. The possession of such base at a
convenient distance from our Pacific
coast would be great temptation to an
unfriendly nation to undertake hostile
operations against US.
Zone of the greatest advantages of Pearl
River Harbor to US consists in the fact
that no navy would be required to de.
fend it. It is deep, lsnd-locked arm
of the sea, easily defended by fortifica.
tions placed near its mouth, with ita
anchorage beyond the reach of guns from
the ocean.
"Oruisers or other war ships which
might be overpowed at sea, as we'll az
merchant vessels, would find there, be.
hind the land defenses, absolute security
against naval attack. A moderate gar
rison OF regular troops, with the militia
OF the island, would give sufficient pro
lection against any landing parties from
a hostile feet. OF course, an army on
transports, supported by apowerful feet,
could land and capture the place. But
that would be an expensive operation
one much less likely to be undertaken
than the occupation of an undefended
harbor as q necessary preliminary to an
attack on our coast or upon our com
merce.
"Ths value Of such place Of refuss
and OF supplies ior our merchant marine
and oar cruisers In time Of var can hard
" b. sstimatsd. Yet ths sreat@st valu'