The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-01
THE CAROLINES As 4 RUSSIAN
BASE.

The suggestion made abroad, that the
Aaiser Is 10 permit the Russian fleets no"
IN the China Sea 10 fnd a refuge In the
Caroline archipelago IL more pracucapie
on the atlas than In actual conditions IL
may b that the shrewd observers In ho-
rope Of the events Ia the Far East and OF the
atutuds, more suspected than susoepuble
o. present proof, q the German Emperor
thereto have good ground for the feeling
that the uneasy War Lord may moline 70
aid the Rojestvensky and Niebogatoh
heets. But 10 any one familiar with the
hlets Of the mld-PaOtfo this suggestion ~
70 the CaFOlines Ia mdiorous.
Although they are spread beyond 20 de-
grees Of longitude at the equator, where
degrees are longest, and lie within the hrst
10 degrees Of north latitude. these islands
had almost vanished from human knoWl-
edge for more than century. DISCOVERED
by Portuguese navigator, they passed 70
Spain and took the name Of Charles II.
Then they became forgotten except for
the stray visits Of New Bedford Whalers
hunting sperm in between the seasons OF
the right whale fshery. In time they came
under the care Of the missionaries OF the
American Board. Yet neither whaler nor
missionary did anything to bring the ia
lands 10 public notice. Later the German
trading company operating from head
quarters at Jaluit In the Marshall Islands
exploited the oopra trade In the Carolines.
This led to many wrongs upon American
trading interests, which have now for many
years Numbered in the unfinished business
OF our South Sea diplomacy, out Of which
we have come with such success as may be
measured by the value Of our possessions
in Hawaii and Tutuila, but IL must be ac-
knowiedged, with not entire credit In the
protection Of smaller American interests.
Spain, however, had greater ground for
complaint, and that complaint was success
fully prosecuted before the Pope as arbi-
traitor. The result was that Germany had
to pay for what it had thought to take by
stealth, and thus the Carolines fell into
the undpe scheme Of a German colonial
empire.
There are So islands In the Caroline
archipelago, q conservative statement, for
In the present incomplete state Of the
surveys the voyager through those seas may
be pardoned for thinking there are many
more. Yet the area Of all the land IL no more
than $50 square miles, and Of 522 Of the islands
ured at no more than twenty square miles,
Ualan, PonRpe and Rug dividing the larger
area in practically equal shares. The
ialands are a beautiful sight. The traders
ind not unpleasant existence In their
Island homes, q prosperity Of the senses,
even II not oonspiouously Of the pocket.
The true people Of the group, Micro
neSisns in the chronological classification,
while not 30 attractive as the Polynesians,
are by no means undressing. Altogether,
one OF the few spots Of the earth that remain
but eighty changed from a happy, print
tive estate.
Captivating though these islands may be,
their attractions are not those which appeal
70 captains Of batt.e5hips with an enemy
known to be awaiting them. The Islands are
too many for navigation 10 be safe even by
day, and at night they are unlighted. The
charts are detective. The currents are
strong and troaohsrous, and the coral reef
Is as bad a. q torpedo for finding out the
weak spots Of the armorolad. Only dire need
would warrant any admiral in taking his
hest into such . labyrinth Of dangers TO
navigation Rojestvensky's need il yet in
prospect.
What advantage; then; could the Caro-
lines offer him even on the Kaiser's invita-
ton and with the new cable CUT II cannot
be hRrbor, for that Is the one thing that
does not exist for him In the Carolines. For
some purposes, TO be sure the harbor on
the westerly island Of zap Is good. it iustifes
In some respects It's entry In the sailing direc-
tons as excellent. At times there have lain
In II a. many as two ships Of a thousand
tons and half q dozen small schooners and
ketches which have brought In the copra for
the lading Of the larger vessels. It Ia easv to
enter and TO leave, II has good holding
ground, 1t has but two dangerous patches.
and these are rather out Of the fairway. For
those who have TO use il zap is indeed an
excellent haTbor. But it il no harbor for
a fleet Of vessels Of war. Il has not room
for more than a very few Of them. It has
no facilities for repair or for getting into
battle trim. Even for purposes OF coaling
from the oolliers which are known 10 accom-
pany the two fleets the facilities are totally
inadequate,
With host Of dangers 10 deter him, and
with no real harbor advantage 20 attract
him, the Russian Admiral would make a
dangerous error should he leave the China
Sea for the Pacific and make Of the Caro-
lines a resting stage in a dash for Vladivos-
tok. 1t scarcely seems probable that such
thing was ever really under consideration.