Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-03
VALUE OF HAWAII
Lieut.. Lucien Young's Strong Presen-
tation for Union.
4 VIGOROUS REPLY TO MR.. BLOUNT
Hawaii as Great Military and
Commercial Headquarters.
STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS

Lieutenant Lucien Young of the United
States navy has written a book under
somewhat unusual circumstances. He was
attached to the L. s. S. Boston. stationed
at Honolulu during the revolution which
overthrow the monarchy and was in COM
naEd OF the United States artillery which
landed at the time for the protection of
American interests.
Lieutenant Young is a kentuckian and a
democrat. but as result of his personal
observations he differs wholly and abso-
lutely from the conclusions arrived at by
Blount Gresham and Cleveland concerning.
the overthrow OF the Hawaiian monarchy.
Upon the publication OF Mr.. Blount's re-
port Lieutenant Young prepared state
ment giving his views upon the subject,
embodying also considerable general infer
nation upon Hawaii. proposing to publish
IL III book form. In accordance with the
rules of the department the manuscript was
first submitted 10 the Secretary. After
several months delay publicat ton was per-
emptoTly forbidden, ana although filed
with indignation that he was not allowed to
reply 10 the charges made by Mr.. Bount
against the navy. ike a good soldier the
author submitted and bided his opportu-
nifty. Upon the incoming of the present
administration permission was granted 10
publish the manuscript.
Vigorous Treatment.
The book is dedicated to john L. Ste
vens and G. c. Wiltse, American minister
at Honolulu, and captain of the Boston,
respectively, during the period discussed
who are described as two as honorable
efficient, conscientious and patriotic
Americans as ever represented their
country al home or abroad"
The book handles BlJunt, Spreckles Lii
nj md oil, Loo. 1T,
pants in the Hawaiian affair without
gloves; so vigorously, in fact, that several
publishers declined to issue the book and
Lieut. Young has been compelled to pub
fish it on mis- own responsibility
In the preface, in giving the reason for
publication. the author says that of his
own knowledge much of the evidence
upon which Mr.. Blount based his report
was utterly false and unreliable: his con-
ciuSlons were, If anything. more misIead-
ing than his evidence and a deadly
wrong was done to the diplomatic and ma
val officers of the United States. who were
In Honolulu at the time OF the revolution
the rank injustice done to Minister
Stevens and Capt. Wiltse, the commander
of the Boston, both of whom are now
dead, and their associates, and the wicked
and malicious mist representation and crit
iclsm to which they have been subjected
have imDelled me, as duty to the living
and the dead and to historical accuracy
as well as in defense of American good
- -t4i anu tiIS lar name OF the GtDuDllC, TO
put on record the facts. which l know to
be true from my personal observation and
Investigation
The book is written in a clear, racy STYLE
and is interesting not only in it's treatment
of Hawaii politically. but for the unusually
detailed account given of the ancient Ha-
waIlan religion, warfare, sports and games
and the tabu and land system. The final
chapter is devoted to the now vital uues-
ton of The Value of Hawaii and as a
pertinent contribution to the pending con-
roversy is reproduced in part as follows:
SeIf-Evident Proposition.
THE Importance of Hawaii as a strate-
g1cal position is no more a matter of opin-
ion than is geometrical axiom. 1t is a
primal, incontrovertible fact. 1t is second
In Importance to no other single point on
the earth's surface. England seized and
with bulldog tenacity has held, Gibraltar
for its strategical value alone; but there
is no country the route to which lies past
Gibraltar which cannot be reached by sew
eral other different ways. The distinctive
feature of Hawaii, wherein il is unique
among the strategical points of the world
Is that IL les at the center of an area so
great that commercial and military opera
tions across ii are practically impossible
except by using Hawaii coal and sup
ply station. Eliminate Hawaii from the
map and there are scarcely any battle
ships in existence which can operate across
the Pacific, by reason of the fact that they
cannot carry coal enough, and the problem
OF coalinS at sea has not yet been solved.
1t has been repeatedly and officially
pointed out by the naval authorities, not
only OF the United States, but of the world
that the transpacific countries and islands
with the exception of Hawaii, are so far
distant from the American continent that
unless the ships of such nations can recoaI
at Hawaii II is practically impossible for
them to get to the Pacific coast for the
purpose OF conducting military operations
there. The most efficient ships could not
get there at all, and those which do carry
sufficient coal TO cross would have no coal
with which TO operate. much less to return
to their base of operations. In other
words. II is impossible to maintain naval
or military operations at a distance of
from $500 to $500 miles from a base of op-
Grafton. Under these conditions il is eie-
mentary strategy and logic that there can
be no surer defense TO the Pacific coast of
the United States than to prevent any
other foreign country from getting posses
sion or control of Hawaii.
The Question of Defense.
Notwithstanding the certainty of the de-
Tense which would be afforded to the Pa
eific coast by excluding a possible enemy
from Hawaii. it would not be policy for
the United States to attempt this method
OF defense by herself taking possession Of
hawaii, unless that possession could be
made effective at reasonable expense
Whether this can be done is not a new
question 10 American naval authorities OF
AS long ago as 1851 Congress, by formal
resolution. requested the Navy and War
Departments to report upon the conditions
and requirements of the coast defenses of
the United States. By Instructions 10 the
Navy Department Admiral Dupont drew up
q report iE reply to this resolution in
which he said, in connection with the de-
Tense OF the Pacific coast:
1t IS impossible to estimate too highly
the value and Importance of the Sandwich
Islands. whether in commercial or mill
tary point Of view. Should circumstances
ever place them in our hands they would
prove the most importSnt acquisition We
could make in the whole Pacific ocean-an
acquisition intimately connected with our
commercial and naval supremacy in those
seas
This opinion has been fully approved by
United States naval officers from that day
to this. That United States control of
Hawaii can be made both effective and eco
nomical is demonstrated by a brief exami-
nation OF the facts.
Few Secure Ports.
Although the Hawaiian Islands are
sight in number and extend over dis
lance of about 100 miles, With the excep-
uCns of Honolulu and Pearl harbors its
TOrts are all open roadsteads, in which YES
tels are compelled to lie at distances of ap-
prONlmately half mile from shore Obliged