The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-11
NAVAL C0ALING STATIONS.
EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH THEN
on FOREIGN SOIL.
Rear Admiral bradford Tells Of the Work
Done on Naval stations In ON New
Possessions plans for Twenty Coal
Dcpots Oh Atlantic aud Pacific Coasts.

Nov. i0-For the first
time since he has been Chief Of the Bureau
of Equipment, Rear Admiral II. j. Brad
ford fails TO discuss in his annual report
20 the Secretary Of the Navy the stra-
tepicai advantage to the United States of
securing naval coaling stations at a num-
Der OF PLACES throughout the world. Adj
miral Bradford gives a hint. however.
that something is going on to carry out
his w~ell-known policy, for he said IN the
brief paragraph devoted to the subject:
As the Department is aware, efforts
are being made to establish naval coal
depots at important localities which 1t u
deemed unwise to discuss In a report o I
a public character
That those localities arc in foreign coun-
tries is well indicated by the fact that Ad-
miral Bradford does not hesitate TO tell
OF the efforts made toward establishing
coaling stations within the limits of this
country and its possessions beyond the
seas.
Work is well under way on the naval
stations nj Honolulu and Tutuila. Samoa
Al Pearl Harbor. Hawaii. work has not
been begun, owing To difficulties IN the
way OF acquiring a suitable site, The
harbor of San IAis d'ApTa, Guam, Is being
improved and the Equipment bureau is
ready to proceed with the construction
there OF IAN adequate coal depot, based
upon q comprehensive scheme, suitable
for a harADor for ~merchantile and naval
purposes, we'll located for protection against
destructive storms, and 1Orured aSdlnst
possible enemies"
A number Of naval coaling stations
have been and are 10 be established in the
Philippines. The most important OF these
IL at Olongapo, on Slibig Bay. where the
Spaniards had done considerable fortihca.
ton work. Il was here that Admiral
Dewey expected TO meet the Spanish squad
ron which he destroyed In Manila Bay
A coaling station has been established at
Sangley Point, near Cavlte, ana a Goa
storage plant, with a capacity oil 4o,oVO
tons, Is TO be built there. Efforts have been
made, so far without success, to OBTAIN
a suitable site for a coal depot at Cebu,
and coal depots have been establsheo
at Port Isabella. on Basilan Island. and
POLICE. on the island Of Mindanao. A
rev United States coal depot is being built
at Yokohama, Japan. Work has been com
pleted on the coal depot at Pichclnque
Bav, Mexico.
Referring 10 the fact that all that has
been Done at San Juan, forto RICO was the
establishment Of a pier for use, IN landlhg
coal and other stores, Admiral Bradford
saws: a.,
1T rs much To be regretted that little
progress has been made IN securing SITES iot
other coal depots in the West Indies, II Is
particularly essential that some OF the
deep water ports of Cuba should be made
available for this purpose. The entire
waters surrounding Cuba are most I'M
portant in q strategic sense, and supplies OF
coal should be near M hand"
Arrangements have been made, and IN
some cases work has begun, for the estab'
lishment Of coal depots at Frenchman's
Bay, Ne, considered an excellent strategicaI
site; Portsmouth. y. IL; Boston, Nara
gansett Bay. r. L., another place Sc
lected IN account Of its strateg'
zeal advantage; New London. Conn .
the New York Savy Yard. League
Island, Pa: Washington, D. C.; Norfolk
Va: Port Royal, T.. e.; Key West and Dry
Tortugas, Fla, both regarded as important
strategically; Pensacola. Fla; Algiers, La
Dutch Harbor, Alaska; Sitka, Alaska
Bremerton, Wash; Mare Island Cal; Mis-
zion Rock. San Francisco Bay, and san
Diego, Cal.
From the above showing it will be seer
that the past year. the period covered by the
report, has been ono OF activity on Admira
Bradford's part, and that he has bser
alive to the knowledge that the United
States, rs Q world Power. must b. prepared
for any emergency requiring the aotlN'
employment Of the leet.