Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-29
DE NAL TOO SWEEPING
The Montgomery Did Make a Cruise to
Sierra Leone
Probably With the object of Securing
CoaIing Station in That
Quarter.

IL appears that in order to free them
selves from the charge that United States
warsh1p was doing guard duty for the Brit
ish government at Sierra Leone the naval
of1cials yesterday made their denial a lit
tie too sweeping in the statement that the
Montgomery had not been to Sierra Leone
at any time. They established the fact
that the Montgomery is now at Buenos
Ayres, far removed from Sierra Leone, and
consequently that she is not rendering any
service to the British authorities, which,
after all. was the point of the story. But
they did not originally admit that she had
visited Sierra Leone last fall, and even
when the fact that such visit had been
made was confirmed by Secretary Long
later on there was a visible reluctance on
the part of all hands to say anything as to
the purpose of her cruise to Africa that
tended to surround 1t with some mystery.
To Locate n Coalfng Station
Even now no specific statement can be
had on the point, but there is very good
reason for the belief that the voyage was
undertaken at the instance of Admiral
Bradford, chief of the equipment bureau,
with the purpose of locating a coaling sta
tion In that quarter of the globe. Cher-
iShing such design the Navy Department
would very naturally not care to have its
motives disclosed until 1t had secured its
end, either through the acquisition of a
site or the ascertanment of the fact that
there was none to be had. Otherwise it
might be apprehended that foreign nations
might interpose to thwart the departments
plans. How this last venture has turned
out cannot be positively ascertained, but
it is surmised that positive results were
not obtained from the Montgomery cruise.
Admiral Bradford has never made any
secret of his desire that the department
should secure one or more coaling sta
tions on the African coast, to insure the
United States naval vessels a shorter pass
age than the Pacific route from the eastern
states to the Philippines and China. in the
event that the Suez canal should be closed
against us. The United States formerly
had no less than three stations of the kind
off or along the west African coast, namely
at st, Vincent, Capt Verde Islands, Fer
nando Po and st. Paul de Loando. We
occupied these points when they belonged
to native tribes, and since Africa has been
divided up between European nations it
may be that our title has been lost
through abandonment.
Admiral Bradford's Views.
Admiral Bradford has within the past
year published his views in part on this
point as follows:
I'VE are now apparently contemplating
with Indifference the carving up and serv-
ing out of the great continent of Africa
to the nations of the eatrh. Indeed there
is. not much of any value remaining.
Is not the hard work of our navy for
many years on the Atlantic African coast,
while engaged in the suppression of the
slave trade-thereby advancing civilization
worth one small harbor for use as a
naval and mercantile base? Is our own
sable child, Liberia, to be abandoned and
left as prey for any land-grabber that
comes along? Have Mozambique, Zanzibar
MAZDA sascar and Muscat, where our Salem
merchants and shipowners led the way, no
longer any charms for US? Or is it to be
said that the Monroe doctrine prevents us
from ever going east beyond our own
shores with our warships, except in time
of peace? Would the author of that fam
Gus declaration have subscribed to such a
sentiment? Is this great country, because
of wise policy, finally incorporated among
its unwritten laws for the purpose of self
defense, to abandon all naval influence on
the shores of Europe and Africa? If it is
to be done, 1t should be done with eyes wide
open, and only after careful and deliberate
consideration, and with full knowledge
of what ii means.
Impression In Diplomatic Quarters
So far as the British authorities are con-
cerned, they declare that they know moth
ing whatever of the movements of the
Montgomery, or of her presence at or near
Sierra Leone. The impression seems to pre-
vail in diplomatic quarters that tne pres
ence of the ship in that part of the world
is most likely to have been the result of our
interest in Liberia, which borders on the
Sierra Leone colony.