The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-09-10

The Army and Navy Journal has the
following from the pen of its editor,
Col. Church, who recently visited here:
A visiting statesmen on his first in
production to Hawaii confessed that he
had never taken any interest in these
outlying possessions of the United
States for the reason that they were
only fy-specks on the map, and did
not appeal to his American idea of the
relation between figures and geograph-
ical Importance. Nearer acquaintance
with these islands, and a study of their
relation to the defense of our Pacific
coast and the control of the commerce
of the Pacific Ocean, changed this
gentleman's opinion and he expressed
the determination henceforth to include
the territory OF Hawaii in the consid-
Grafton of American interests. The
fact that Secretary Taft during his
recent visit of a day at Honolulu de-
cided to double the military force there
and give Major Robert C. Van Vliet
the command of a battalion instead of
two companies, shows that the Secre-
tary received a similar impression of
the Importance of these "fy-specks up
on the map.''
Not only has the military force sta
toned at Honolulu been inadequate,
but it has been shamefully neglected
in the matter of accommodations. The
accommodations for the enlisted men
he
ception of the post commander, are
auartered in tents. Under the favora-
ble conditions of climate this is no
great hardship, however considerable
the inconvenience, and by another year
it is hoped to have the new post ready.
Tt is much better situated strategically
ssthan the present post, which is
leased ground, and being on the line
of the extension of one of the street
railroads it will have easy access to
Honolulu 1t is on the line between
the city and Pearl Harbor, where in
time we shall have not only a naval
station, but forts and troops to defend
it.
Nothing can be said in exaggeration
of the Importance of Pearl Harbor. 1t
is a magnificent sheet of water, so
situated that it is easily defended, and
now that We are in secure possession
of it, and of the land required for the
naval stations and the forts, it is pro-
posed to defend the entrance to the
harbor There should be no delay in |
pushing forward the work. The Sec
retary of War, the chairman OF the
House Naval Committee and other in
of Congress have recently had an op-
portunity of judging for themselves OF
the Importance of Pearl Harbor and
of the Hawaiian Islands and we hope
that they will favor a proper appro-
priati by the next Congress for their
defense If they can be made secure
in our possession they will greatly
simplify the work of defending our
Pacific coast They will in effect carry
these defenses two thousand miles out
into the ocean and place them in
position on the flank Of any
naval force advancing from the East
defended and properly sup
piled they will furnish our naval YES
sells patrolling the Pacific with a mar
Dor in which they can be rehtted ana
and from which they can
proceed with clean bottoms and bunk $
ers filed with coal to strike the ves- t
sells of an enemy compelled TO make a
iournev of between four and five thou I
sand miles before he can be in posi- g