Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
THE ISLAND OF GUAM
PLANS IN PROGRESS FOR ITS PRO-
lection AS A NAVAL BASE.
Extensive Harbor improvements and
ImpreEnable FOrtihcatiOns
Contemplated.

The Navy Department has taken the in
itial steps in the preparation for the COM
plete and comprehensive system of fortifi-
cations and harbor improvements by which
1t is intended to make the Island Of Guam
a thoroughly protected base for our naval
vessels in the western Pacific The author
ity for the preliminary work in this line
was granted under the act of June 6 of
this year in the appropriation for river and
harbor improvements
1t was an obscure paragraph added to the
bill at the last moment, but meaning a
great deal, as the researches of the Navy
Department on the subject have already
proved. The special charts prepared in this
connection show that the United States
has but two stations on the line of travel
across the Pacific between San Francisco
and Manila. One of these is Honolulu and
the other is Guam, $500 miles westward.
There Is another stretch of over 1,600 miles
west of Guam before Manila is reached.
Thus Guam is left a tiny dot in the mass
OF islands covering that part of the ocean,
and the only spot for nearly 1000 miles in
any direction where an American vessel
can find protection under its own flag.
FIanked by Other Powers.
The Navy Department has been at pains
to ascertain just what harbor facilities
other nations have in this part of the
that southwark from Guam we are flanked
for $500 miles by chain of thirteen fine
harbored islands, all of them potential ma
val bases of other powers. some of them
already equipped and fortified.
These harbors are included in the Mar
shal and Caroline groups, which stretch
from the southern border of the Philippines
eastward past the longitude of Guam while
on the north the Ladrones possess several
harbors, some of them as close as forty
miles to our possessions in Guam. In view
of all these facts, it has been determined
to make Guam a great naval base, thor
oughly equipped with supplies for our
squadrons, and nearly impregnable
against a hostile fleet as 1t is possible to
make the island.
Commission of Survey.
A mixed commission of three naval, one
army and two naval officers has already
been assigned to the work of the prelim-
mary survey, and upon its recommended
tions the future plans in this line will be
based.
The officers are Capt. ]. F. Merry, now
on duty at the naval station in Honolulu;
Major Biddle of the army Engineer Corps
now on duty in the Philippines, and Lieut.
A. NJ. Beecher. now on duty in Washing
ton and recently attached to the naval
now accommodating the outfit for the COM
mission here, and will proceed shortly to
San Francisco, whence he will sail on the
Soiace about October l, picking up Capt.
Merry at Honolulu, while Major Biddle will
come eastward to meet the other two men,
bers Of the commission.
The inauguration Of this work is viewed
with great deal of interest by the off,
GERS OF the Navy Department and is con-
sidered one of the most important steps yet
taken for the maintenance of our position
In the Pacific, and incidentally for keeping
open the commercial gateway to the far
east.