The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
The Competition for Coaling stations.

The Competition for Coaling stations.
The acquisition OF the Philippines by the
United States. the seizure Of Kiao-Chou by
Germany and Italy's demand for harbor
| on the Chinese coast, a demand likely to be
ultimately granted, have added three great
maritime powers to the three. England,
France and Russia, which already possess
foothold on the Asiatic shore OF the Pa
citlc, and which, therefore, need coaling
stations on the various routes to the Far
East. From this point OF view it will be
interesting to compare the advantages be-
longing TO the several rivals for Chna's
trade, and TO inquire what opportunities Of
securing coaling stations still exist.
We may eliminate Russia from the in
quiry because, as she has access to the Mid
die Kingdom by land, the maintenance Of
maritime communication Herewith is not
for her absolutely Indispensable. This is
not true Of England and France, because,
although these powers might enter China.
the one from Burmah and the other from
Tonquin, yet both for commercial and mil
itary reasons the maritime connection be-
tween the Asiatc dependencies Just named
and Europe must be uninterrupted. Both
OF these powers, consequently. require
coaing stations on each of the three sea
routes between Europe and eastern ASIA Of
which one passes through the Mediterra-
mean, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, the
second around the Cape Of Good Hope and
the third around Cape Horn, or via the
American isthmus, and thence across the
Pacific. On the first two of these routes
England is far better provided with coaling
stations than any other power, for French
vessels, proceeding eastward from the
Iunlsan ports, do not again encounter q
French horhnr until they have emerged
from the ti Sea; while, on the route
around Il care Of Good Hope, they have
long joug.ry before them after leaving
Madagascar and the island OF Reunion.
When canal is cut across the American
isthmus France will profit by her posses
sions in the West Indies, but here, also,
England will be better off, owning, as she
does, not only islands in the chain which
bars the Caribbean on the East. but also
Jamaica and British Honduras
AS regards. however. the route across
the Pacific, after the completion OF an in
teroceantc waterway no European power
will be able to vie with the United States
inasmuch as, for US, the voyage Is divided
into three parts by coaling stations In Ha-
wall, at Guam and in the Philippines. In
the central Pacific, Germany has certain
Joint rights in Samoa. and In the western
half OF that great ocean she already had
insular possessions before her recent pur-
chase OF the Ladrones, the Caroines and
the Pelew Islands. France owns more
than one insular group in the South Sea.
besides her conQuests in farther India. It
would be extremely difficult, however, for
either France or Germany to maintain an
aggressive naval war against our Pacific
coast, nasmuch as the fighting vessels of
those powers would have to be coaled from |
transports.
Let US suppose, nevertheless, that after |
the outbreak OF hostilities we should be |
temporarily deprived Of Hawaii and Guam.
and should, consequently, desire to reach |
our strongholds in the Philippines by one |
OF the alternative routes by way Of the |
Sucz Canal or around the Cape Of Good |
Hope. We should then be confronted by |
the fact that, In the Atlantic, east Of Porto |
Rico, in the Mediterranean and In the In
dian Ocean, We do not possess single coal
Ing station. Had the war with Spain been
prolonged, we should, doubtless, have Sc
cured the Canaries and the island OF Fer
nando Pc, which would have afforded VA
convenient harbors for coaling and repair
on the route around the Cape Of Good
Hope; and either Ceuta or one Of the
Balearic Isles. which would have rendered
corresponding services to American yessels
bound for the SuCZ Canal As IL was NIL ~ |
the coigns OF vantage just named were left
In the hands OF Spain, and now, according
to telegram, she purposes to sell all of
them except Ceutn. which gives her foot
hold in Morocco, to some strong European
power, In return for moderate amount OF
money and an offensive and defensive alli-
ance. Our opportunity, therefore, OF OBJ
tanning coaling stations on the Mediterra-
mean or Cape OF Good Hope routes to the
Far East seems TO have been lost, 80 far
as Spain ia concerned. 1t may be still DOS
sibe. however, to secure from Portugal
coalinG stations on the route around the
Cape OF Good Hope, SO that the longest
stretch to be traversed by an American
warship would he that between Mozam-
bique aud Manila.
In the Mediterranean we seem to have no
chance of gaining a coaling station, except
through purchase from Morocco. There is.
1t seems, an excellent harbor on the Mediter-
ranean coast OF the Sultan's domlnions, not
far from the Algerian frontier; butiwhether
this could be secured without exciting We
hement opposition on the part OF France ia
uncertain. Evidently, we should prove