Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-10
OUR NEED OF HAWAII
Fresh Indication Of Its Strategic
Importance.
LINE OF ALASKAN: COMMUNICATION
Demand for Its Protection in the
Future.
RUSH TO THE KON

| HONOLULU, December "A, 1897.
| The present and coming rush to Alaska
| places in a new and most impressive light
| the strategic necessity of Hawaii to the
| United States. That necessity for the prop
| er defense of the Pacific coast has already
been abundantly demonstrated by Capt.
Mahan and Others 1t now appears also
| that immediate provision has got to be
| made for the protection of your line of
| communication with Alaska. which will be
| fatally 1aEked by any enemy in possession
| of Hawaii. The enemy in such possession,
| as you have already seen, would be in po-
| sition to push his well-coaled armament
against California ports. Without such
| possession he would have no practicable
! base of operations. there being no possible
| coaling stations within available distances.
With this subject you are already familiar.
| The occupying of the Yukon valley by
l a large colony Of Americans creates a new
problem of defense 10 be provided for,
which had not been anticipated as calling
! for present attention. An immense stream
| of American ocean traffic now suddenly
| springs into existence. whose protection
| must be well provided for. Upon the safety
of that line of traffic depend the vital in
| terests of the supply of the great Yukon
| colony with the necessaries of life, and of
| the traI sportation Of the reinforcing armies
/
| of war, be able to interrupt and break up
| that crowded line of comm unication with
| Alaska, the towns and placers Of the Yukon
| valley with their tens OF thousands Of inhab-
| itants. would be condemned to starvation.
and the present hopeful colonization of that
| important territory would be disastrously
| interrupted. The United States are mani
testify bound to protect themselves at u
point where so injurious an attack might
easily be made by any enemy occupying
| Hawaii in force.
| New Subject.
This subject is a new one, and does not
| appear to have received much considera-
| ton, although Ser ator Morgan lately made
| a brief allusion to 1t, which awakened the
| writer's attention a novel idea. Per-
| laps even the senator has not been led to
| consider the enormous dimensions of the
lino of ocean traffic which will have to be
protected. The result of little use of
plain figures the subject is stimulating
| A recent official estimate appeared at
Washington that 100000 men were prepar-
| ing to go to the Yukon and Klondike in
the summer OF 1893. Guesses of the prob
able number have been published, ranging
as high as 100000 and even 100000, figures
manifestly far beyond possibility of trans
portation and supply and beyond any pos
slble resources of capital to move them.
l should regard even $4,000 as an imprac-
| ticable number. But consider what is
meant by taking $1,000 emigrants there
Il III oiC SuilIHeT
Possible Havoc by Enemies.
The larger class of ocean steamers on the
| Pacific might be fitted up to carry 500 pas
sengers apiece, besides the 800 tons Of sup
plies necessary for a years sojourn on the
Yukon. together with the coal for the
round trip from Seattle to st. Mlchaers
| a distance of $500 miles. Thus to trans
port $4,000 men would occupy sixty trips
MI,
next summer will be available, say from
the middle CT May to the middle of Septem-
Der The round trip of four weeks each
might be made in that time by each boat.
Ihus a line OF twelve large ocean steamers
would be required, boat leaving Seattle
every other day, and seven ships being at
sea all the time upon the route of $500
m,tes. What enormous havoc q couple of
active British or Japanese or Russian
cruisers could make with such line of
steamers, with coaling station at Homo
lulu to fall back upon
Inns, however, is only a part Of the story
The emigrants have to be taken m the
ukon river another $500 miles. The round
Trip VIII occupy eight weeks, or twice as
ichg as the ocean passage. Each river
boat may carry one hundred men and their
supplies, thus calling for sixteen times az
many as the twelve ocean steamers or
hearly two hundred stern-wheelers of
hshtest possible draft. These two hundred
poats Will all have to be built In sections
and transported from Seattle and other
coast cities to st. Michaers, and there put
together. Each boat will require saw two
hundred tons of coal for the round trip, or
Tor the $50 trips 100000 tons, all of which
must be delivered at st. MichaePs by coal
Shps sent FOR that purpose, amounting to
thlrty arrivals Of large steamers or their
equivalent tonnage Of sailing ships. max
ing another ocean fleet nearly equal to the
former passenger ships named.
But there Is still more figuring to do. In
aaaltlon TO the ton apiece of necessary pro-
VISIONS and blankets for each emigrant,
ne must have housing and fuel provided to
carry him through the fearful rigors of
the arctic winter. The sparse timber of
| the Yukon valley will fail to suffice for
| those purposes. One ton of coal and 500
| feet or lumber will be necessary for each
man. or 5000 tons of coal and %, OOO, coo
| feet of lumber. forming cargoes for 100
more large sailing ships or fifty steamers
| arriving at st. Michael's.
Our figures thus amount to the euuiya-
| lent Of not less than 100 arrivals at ST.
| Michaefs of large steamships during the
five months available for, the river traffic
| Of the army of $1,000 emigrants whom we
| have very conservatiYely imagined as
| likely to seek passage up the Yukon to
| Dawson In 1888. do not see whence such
equivalent in sailing ships could be collect
| ed in time for the work. Possibly some of
| the large japanese mercantile fleet might
| be enlisted, or some Of the numerous tramp
l
ploy any but American ships between Sc
attic and st. Michaers would necessitate
| special legislation by, Congress permitting
| it. One is led to suspect that so large an
emigration to the Yukon as $1,000, or even
| more than 10000. during next year will
prove impracticatle for lack of facilities
| for transportation, even If the twenty mil
lions of money required for such an army
| as 10000 were forthcoming.
Possibility Of Traffic.
The foregoing figures as to the number
of ships necessary to be employed in rein
forcing and maintaining the new Amer Fan
colony in Alaska are,s however useful as
indicating the enormous dimensions OF the
ocean traffic on that route which is certain
| tc come into existence within the next five
| years. and for properly protecting which
| Congress must at once provide. say
certain. believing that the richness Of
| the Yukon goldfields 81 an in6ubitable fact
For many years they will continue, as Cal
| tfnrnfa and Australia did, to attract ad-
venturous and enteFprising men in great
| numbers. Within five years doubtless a
population OF 100000 white men will be in
| occupation Of the YUKON valley. Their
| wants must be almost wholly supplied from
ebroad, the country producing nothing but