The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-04-03
DEFENSES
OF HAWAII

in which he said that the insular pos
sessions coGld not be long neglected if
the United States desired to hold them:
THE OLD DEFENSES.
"Our coast defenses, as they existed
in ls60,' the message begins, ''were
not surpassed in efficiency by those of
any country, but within a few years the
introduction of rifed cannon and armor
in the navies of the world, against
which the smooth bore guns were prac-
tically useless, rendered them obsolete.
For many years no attempt was made to
remedy the deficiencies of these sea.
coast Notifications. There was no es-
tablishment in the country equipped for
the manufacture of high power rifled
guns; there was no definite adopted pol
icy of coast defense, and Congress was
reluctant to undertake a work the
cost of which could not be stated even
approximately and the details of which
had not advanced-so far as could be
certained-beyond the experimental
stages.
history of the Endicott board,
formed under the Act of March 3, 1888,
is given with this conclusions:
"The omissions in the estimates of
the Endicott board and the changes in
the details of its plans have caused
doubts in the minds of many as to the
money that will be needed to defend
completely our coast by guns, mines
and their adjuncts. -
INsUIAR POSSESSIONS.
The President goes on to say:
"New localities are pressing their
claims for defense. The insular posses
sions can not be held unless the princi-
pal ports, naval bases and coaling sta
tions are fortified before the outbreak
of war. These considerations have led
me to appoint joint board of officers
of the army and navy 'to recommend
the armament, fixed and floating, mobile
torpedoes, submarine mines and all
other defensive appliances that may be
necessary to complete the harbor de-
fense with the most economical and ad-
vantageOus expenditure of money! the
board was further instructed ito ex-
tend it's examinations so as to include
estimates and recommendation relative
to the defenses of the insular possess
sions, and to recommend the order in
which the proposed defense shall be
completed so that all the elements of
harbor defense may be properly and
eHectlVely cO-Orulnateu.
1t is mentioned that the board had
completed it's labors, and it's report, to-
gether with letter of transmittal by
the Secretary of War, was Herewith
transmitted to Congress. Then the
President discusses the addition of the
entrance to Chesapeake bay to the lists
of ports in the United States to be de-
Tended. From which he proceeds:
HONOLULU DEFENSES.
"In the insular possessions the great
naval bases at Guantanamo, Subig bay
and Pearl Harbor, the coaling stations
at Guam and San Juan, require protec-
tion, and, in addition, defenses are rec
commended for Manila bay and Homo
lulu, because of the strategic Importance
of these localities. in the letter of the
Secretary of War will be found the
sums already appropriated for defenses
at some of these ports or harbors, and
the estimates are for the completion of
an adequate defense at. each locality
Going on to the matter of defending
the Panama canal, the message has
these remarks; SIC
cit is an accepted naval maxim that
navy can be used to strategic advant-
age only when acting on the offensive,
and it can be free to so operate only
after our coast defense is reasonably
secure and so recognized by the country.
1t was due to the securely defended
conditions of the Japanese ports that
the Japanese feet was free to seek out
and watch its proper objective-the
Russian feet-without fear of Interrupt
tion or recall to guard its home ports
against raids by the Vladivostok squad
ron. This, one of the most valuable
lessons of the late war in the East, IS
worthy of serious consideration by our
country, with it's extensive coast line,
it's many important harbors, and its
many wealthy manufacturing coast
cities.
"The security and protection of our
interests require the completion of the
defenses of our coast, and the accom-
panying plan merits and should receive
the generous support of the Congress. -
MILLIONS FOR ISLANDS.
Secretary Taft, in his transmittal
letter, contains estimates as follows for
the ports added since the Endicott
board made its report:
Eastern entrance to Long Island
sound, including $2,94S,557 already ex-
pended, So,o2l, ZOO; fOrt Royal, al
ready expended, 132,l0l; Tampa, in
cluding $704,4S7 already expended, ST.
2l0,377; Puget sound, including ST.
2s0,9l5 already expended, $4,000, ,264;
Chesapeake bay, $6,102,s7l.
The amount so far appropriated ana
allotted is $72,750,5s4. He estimates
the cost for the defense of the insular
possessions, including the naval bases
and coaling stations, at $l9,s73,s95 in
addition to the $a,254,9 ,920 already ap-
propriated. The estimated cost for
the defense of the isthmian canal
ports, exclusive of the cost of land, is
$4,ss7,6s2.
Secretary Taft's letter summarizes
the report of the board named after
him. A considerable part of the report
is devoted TO the necessity for defenses
in the insular possessions and isthmian
ports. The places mentioned in this
connection are Guantanamo, San Juan,
Guam, Subig bay, Manila bay, Pearl
Ilarbor, Honolulu, Colon and Panama,
the latter two the canal ports,
THE ARMANTpNmQ