The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-13
OUR NEW PACIFIC ISLAND
IMPORTANCE or TUIUiLA 10 TR,y,
PICIfIC COMMER,y.
In Psgo-Pago 1t In, the Bcu u,,,o.

PdCIfIC COMMERCE.
In Pago-Pago 1t lin, the Bc,, u,,h
All the Pacihc-lt 10 LandIorLed
Can Easily he Defended from LANA Wv"
A CoalinE station Already ESt,lu,h,i
WARRINGTON. Nov. 12.-Tutuil,. tho S,,,..-
island which falls to the United S,a's. ~.
recent arrangement completed between G..'
many and England subject to rattNel,,nrh.
the United States Government. hraoro, =.
extremely valuable addition to the uoss...i,,
OF the United States in the Pacific within.
small area and population. which. ACCORDING, n,
the Treasury Bureau Of Statistics a,. ty,
flfty-four square miles and 1000 purur,ifo, ",
possesses the most valuable island tlrl,-i,
the South Pacific and perhaps in tho emit.
Pacific Ocean. A Representative Of tho fp.l,
Times. recently In Washington. who hal
visited and was thoroughly familiar with no,
only the Samoan Islands. but those " tho IA.
cinc generally, pronounced the harhorui lago.
Pago. in the island Of Tutuia, the beet Ia an
tho Pacific. and the Pearl harbor In tb,
Hawaiian group tho next In value as harbor,
the United States thus being the posseisor q,
the chief island harbors npd ports OF call, sup.
ply and repairs In the Pacific OCEAN.
Comm ercially, tho Samoan Islands sing,y o,
as q group. are unim portant. so far as ther
local production or consump tlon 10 concerned,
but are extremely important to any ma lon 10.
string to cultivate trans-Pacinc commerce,
Mr.. Coward. who was sent by the Intel
States Government to the Samoan Island, .,
arrange for treaty with reference t. the
hnrbor OF Pago- Pago. said:
The capacity Of this hsrbor Ia sufficient 'or
the accom- N odation OF large fleets; land.
locked. II Is safe from hurricanes and storms
and tould easily be defended from land or -,
attack at a small expense In a naval point %,
view It Is the key position 10 the Samoan crop
and likewise TO Central Polynesia. and Is este.
cially located for the protection OF AmsrI.
can commerce. The Samoan archipelago is. hy
reason Of it's geographical position in central
Polynesia, lying In the course OF vessels from
Snn Francisco TO Auckland. from Panama -
Sydney and from Valparaiso TO China AMI
japan. and. from being outside the hurricane
track, the most valuable group In tho South
Pacific. Situated halfway between Honolulu
and Auckland. PaGo-Pago would DO most
convenient stopping place or coalinR station
for vessels or steamers. either for supplies ~
the exchange Of commodities. With the Pa.
cinc Mail steamers making II a port for coaiine.
II would necessarily become the controlling
commercial place in that part OF Polynesia
The above statement, made by Mr. Coward
In 1887. applied simply to the harbor Of Page.
cupancy and complete ownership Of the entire
island by the United States. 1t becomes al.
ditiunally important In view OF the control ~
the United states OF tho Hawaiian and Philip:
pine groups. the prospective construction -
an isthmian canal. aud the rapidly growing
commerce between the United States an tia
great markets Of Asia and Oceanica, which
buy nnually more than billion dollars worth
OF goods. and nearly all o' this OF the lass Z
merchandise which the people OF the United
The interest Of the United States In the sam.
oan Islands. and especially Tu,ulla, which
now passes completely under our control. rr';
yided the agreement OF Germany and EnG and
il ratified by the United States. began in 49,.
when Commander Meade ni the United States
Navy mado a treaty with Mnunga. the great
chief Of the island of Tutuila, by which ths
port Of Pago-pago was TO becoms, the pror.
erty OF the United States on condition that .
friendly alliance be made between the is,anl
and hi. Goy Sg1n! ir.siient Grant, IL
States senate IN that year. said: "
The advantages Of the concessions wh!ch
Vi: sr to mac ESon SO FTSs
| seaport rs cnaing station 'or steamers be.
tween san francisco and Au.'rdin: that |
tiog but for the obligation O ,rr2tection on ths
part Of, the United states which it seems 20
This o9sIGatioq Of gr2isc'9Sp," after
the samoan ch.f The anal treaty wa! signed
Oh Jan. I, 1873. aud the, ratifcntions exchanged
On Feb ~, 10y whiSh ne rG6f to ts,Sn',n at
plies. freedom Of trade. commercial treatment
as q favored nation. and extra: territorial con:
sular Juris LECTION We secured to the United
states The extension OF United States control
over the entire Island. according 10 the plan
proposed Nv Germany and Great Britain. would
consunmate the wishes EXPRESSED by the chiet
OF he Island IN The draft o, ne treaty FORWARDED
the reoTls OF the island into closer relations
with this Government.for which they asked on
that occasion.
The port OF Pago. Fago was, shortly after
the treaty. surveyed by the United States
lished last year. In considering the value -
Tutuila AMI its harbor OF Pago-Pago. IL u
proper to add that the Samoan naval disaster
Of 1872. in which number Of naval vessels
were wrecked during q severe storm, occurred
in the roadstrad OF Aria, on the island -
Cpolu. and not in the landlocked and WEI
protected harbor Of PGEo-PaCo.