The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-27
Government Preparing to Maintain
Our Naval Supremacy.
GREAT STORES OF COAL
HALF a MILLION TONS FOR
WARSHIPS
Will Be Conveniently Distributed On
Both Coasts and Across the Pacific
Indicates the Policy Of the Gov
ernment-Nava1 Officials Want
the Caroline Islands.

New York, Dee. PA dispatch to the
Tribune from Washington says: The
navy department is going to be pre-
pared for any emergency that may
hereafter arise in the Atlantic and Pa
cific oceans by carrying on hand the
enormous stock of nearly half a mill
lion tons of the best steaming coal for
warships that can be procured. This
supply of the most important Of all
sinews OF modern war is to be system
aticaIly distributed IN american ports
most conveniently located for the coal
ing Of ships for any operations the navy
may conceivably be called upon to un-
dertal1e extending along the Atlantic
and gulf coast line from Frenchman' s
bay, Maine, to san Juan de Puerto Rico,
as well as to the commanding positions
along the line of commerce which
have already been secured by the Unit
ed States in the Pacific ocean, stretch
ing from San Francisco and Puget
sound to Manila and southwark to Sa-
moa. In the naval sphere of activity
in the Atlantic about 100000 tons are to
be promptly and Systematically stored,
in accordance with the recommendation
Of the chief strategists of the service,
and at least 10000 tons will be sent
around Cape Horn to the great west
ern ocean, where American interests
have suddenly become second to those
Of no other nation, and where the in
fiuence of the United States will not
hereafter be subordinated to that of
any European power.
GOVERNMENT POLICY.
The distribution of immense piles of
American coal for naval purposes in
the Pacific indicates the unalterabl9
attitude which has been adopted by
the administration regarding the future
policy of the United States in that di-
rection. as the initial expense involved
in transporting the proper quality of
fuel for use in the marine engines, as
well as the elaborate character Eof the
apparatus which might be installed for
the expeditions coaling of war vessels,
for which time is a most essential ele-
ment, demonstrate how gravely and
thoroughly the authorities have ma
tured their plans.
The number of tons which will be
held in reserve at the various coalipa
stations west of the American CONT
nent have been fixed for the present as
follows: Manila, $4,000; Guam, 10000;
Honolulu, $4,000; Page Page, 10000;
San Francisco, $4,000, and Bremerton,
Puget sound, $4,000. On the Atlantic
coast, in addition to the fuel supplies
already established at the various navy
yards and naval stations, the recon-
mendationS of Admiral Bell1nap's board,
which made its Investigations early in
the Spanish war, will probably be
adopted without modification, with the
addition of several requisite ports in
the West Indies.
With strong coal bases provided in
this arrangement, within easy steaming
distance of every vessel in the naval
fleet, the effective protection of the
Atlantic coast Will be more than
doubled, as compared with its condi-
ton six months ago. With the eXcep-
ton of the long stretch around the
South American continent, where, in
case of enforced neutrality of the
Latin-American republics, United
States ships cannot purchase coal in
their ports a continued recourse to
armed Golfers will be unavoidable. The
government is now fortunately pos
sessed of seventeen of these invaluable
vessels. with an aggregate carrying ca
pacity approximating $4,000 tons. and it
is the intention to keep those vessels
filed to their capacity and constantly
ready for immedite service.
MORE ISLANDS WANTED.
There is no concealment among naval
officers of the almost priceless value
would contribute to the maintenance
of American interests in the widest of
oceans. To Spain, this archipelago can
never be more than a burden and ex-
pense, which must now appear prohib-
tive to the government at Madrid in
it's Strengthened circumstances, and an
auction sale to the highest bidder is
believed to. be among the certainties of
the early future. It is no secret that
the present administration at Wash
ington is not inclined to permit any
European power to buy this group,
and emphatic evidence is given of
this discrimination in the orders issued
to naval vessels in the last week, pro-
viding for the disposition of all the
available naval forces at Manila, Guam
and Honolulu. There is another line
of communication with the Philippines
during a period of hostilities. This is
to be undertaken by naval auxiliaries
and army transports from New York
by way of the Suez canal early next
month, but it is a route which gives to
the strategists no concern whatever for
the present, as it would not be needed
in time of war; or after the completion
of the Nicara gllsn canal