The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-12-09
Macarthur Tells How
Oahu Would Be Defended
COMMANDING GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA
HAS POSITIVE VIEWS ON MILITARY IMPORTANCE
OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS-CONSIDER THEM DOMI-
NANT STRATEGICAL FACTOR OF PACIFIC

General Macarthur commander of
the Department of California who is in
Honolulu on a tour of inspection of
the general strategical situation of the
islands has very positive views on the
necessity of adequately protecting and
holding these islands from possible
capture by any foreign force.
Since his arrival from California,
General Macarthur has been occupied
with visiting the various places of i'm
portance about the island of Oahu. and
acquainting himself with the general
condition of the island and the weak
nesses and strength of the island from
a strategical standpoint. Last week
he visited Pearl Harbor and also drove
around the island, besides visiting
other places on Oahu. Yesterday he
was at Round Top and on Friday he
intends to make a trip around the Ma
kapu Point side of the island by way
of Wamanalo Plantation. He will
stop over night at the Waimanalo PLAN
tation and take horses the following
day and round the point, meeting the
army conveyances on the Koko Head
side. After making this trip, Cen
eral Macarthur will have made the
complete circuit of this island!
Next week he proposes to go into
camp for three or four days at the
Waianae-uka military reservation. A
detachment of troops from Camp Nc
Kinley will go into camp with General
Macarthur. This encampment will be
made for the purpose of determining
the military possibilities of that reser-
walton. In view of General MacAr-
thurs statements regarding the policy
of defence for this island, this encamp-
ment will be of much Importance. 1t
is likely to have considerable bearing
on tho selection of the final military re-
servation for it will enable him to de-
termine the situation and practicability
of the reservation from a strategical
standpoint with regard to the defence
of the island.
General Macarthur has decided that
it will not be necessary for him to visit
any of the other islands. He considers
that the strategical conditions of Oahu
are such as to made it the key to the
entire group. The two harbors on this
island, Honolulu and Pearl Harbor,
render this island the most important
from a military standpoint and there
are practically no other harbors on
the other islands for which the gov
ernment need give itself any imme-
diate concern. He intends therefore,
to continue his inspection of this ISL
ana ana TO return TO san Francisco on
the S. s. Siberia December 21.
81 believe with Captain Mahan the
Naval writer" said General Macarthur
this morning that the Hawaiian ISL
ands are the dominant strategical fac
tor of the Pacific. There can be but one
opinion regarding the necessity of
fortifying and holding this island. The
two harbors that are on this island
naturally make Oahu the important
island of the group and the one with
which the situation can be controlled.
Pearl Harbor where it is proposed to
construct a Navy Yard, should be made
impregnable but it will not be neces-
sary to fortify the entire island so as
to prevent possible enemies landing
forces The Heuer Board which was
here and examined the question of
fortifying the island, reported in favor
of a perfect system of fortifcation.
According to the report of that board,
the Notifications proposed would make
the system one OF the strongest In
the world. 1t is not my office TO
make any recommendations or changes
In that report for that deals with the
engineering side of the matter. Any
recommendation in that respect that |
might make would be merely to urge
that the recommendations of that
board be followed
/ "The plan of defence for this island
would be first to have the Pearl Har-
/ Dor impregnable and second, to have a
! strong mobile force available to repel
! any landing forces. In case of pos