New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-13
THE NEED OF HAWAI-
ENGINEERING CHIEF MELvILLE's ARGu'
MENT FOR ANNEXATION.

COMMERCE RESULTING FROM ALASKAN pEvEl-
opyrv- MUST BE PRoTEcTED-AcTUAL
xEARNEss OF HAWAII As A F1ANKlNG
POSITION FOR NAVAL VESSELS.
pecen, events in the history OF lands border
I've tho Pacific Ocean give added strength 70
the strategic reasons favoring the annexation
% Hawaii which have existed almost since the
--,i.a1 States WAS Nation and which have had
.,,u force since the conquest and purchase OF
California.
To the westward the acquisition by Germany
- a commanding position on the Shan-Tung
Pron1ontory and the rumored desire FOR al-Nah
nv another Government. with the occupation
since 1S42 Of Hong-Kong by the British. point 70
the seemingly inevitable Europeanizng OF the
io,p l,ttoral OF China Northvard % that en-
nire Russia marches steadily on, pushing her
Siberian railway 70 completion. extending her
already vast resources and strength at Nladi-
voetock vintering her feet al Port arthur
and apparently entering into the afairs' CO.
,nae.ic and foreign. of the Corean Peninsula
The feet OF Japan. too. has had. and still mas
phenomenal growth. japan has made Formosa
her territory. and II her new role as the England
n, the East be adequately filed other Island ter
-t.orv NAV fall 70 her before the disturbed bal
a~oa =, novver IN the Orient shall cease 70 osci-
late and shall settle into quiet FOR a time.
IN mace. then. Of facing China, peaceful and
n war inert with no force 20 dispatch far
aAeId by sea or land. and Japan, eager, brill
,ant hut vet young and weak. there Will pres
only confront the United States on its western
as well as its eastern shore The Powers OF
r-urore with their relatively large fleets and
home reserves established not only In the lar
ras. hut in many ~ the nearer PACING ISLANDS,
the ACQUISITION Of which in these later years
ha. been not blind grab for territory ou'
in nursui, OF definite strategic aims TO these
forces on the West there must be added also
That 81 the new Japan whose navy VIII soon
surnass our own in fighting power.
', ,s .-ue that We are wholly at peace with
- ra.iors ard that since the United states
,-.,.as M Asiatic territory. but Is interested
-. IN the FULL maintenance % its treaty rights
~ eastern peoples. there would seem to he no
t.Lie cause for a clash. Yet modern war is
.,a,,,nas Ike thief in the night" coming
o-a without warning Jomini. master
.ra.as7, has said. no enemy is 50 insignii-
"a - he despised or neglected by any
-, however formidable" wise State
"a AMY the same reasoning 20 possible
,oain he says. Iron weighs al least as
= ,-old IN the scales Of military strength"
- arsve- wholly apt 70 the argument OK
- vrho calm in the consciousness OF present
80 would rely upon the unsurpassed wealth
- United states and our linitless resources
-, the stress Of sudden war-remembsring
49,. gold" only. and forgetting the vital Iron"
OF military strength
"a so while al this time We are wholly al
-. IN the Pacific. and the breadth OF that
- ocean lies between US and the arsenals
~. ,o,,ons which may some time be hostile 70
- -, q must be remembered that in mo-
~, ,eace may fade and that Hawaii bridges
49, stretch Of sea which without the island
,,or, would be a. this stage in the develop
non, O, marine propulsion impossible TO an
.n.rv.s fleet Pearl Harbor is the sole key 10
-. ,,u defence Of our Western shore. and tina,
rsv should lie In our grasp only.
ALASKA NEW ELEMENT.
Again. the sudden and wholly unforeshadowed
aevelonrnent Of Alaska which the god dis
coveries Of the KIondike probably presage adds
n new element Of commanding importance 20
the problem OF Pacific defence-supremacy II
YOU will II seems not unlikely that this terri
$500 Mil rsnSat the history of California-hrst.