The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-17
PACIFIC WAR
PREDICTED
Sensational Views of a
Leading American
Statesman.
(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)

| Mail Special to the Advertiser.1
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 5.-A
| great war upon the Pacific ocean, with
Hawaii and the Philippines gobbled up
by hostile fleets, has been projected
upon Washington within the past week
as a dominant topic The originator
of the bloody picture was ex-Seeretary
of the Treasury Leslie NJ. Shaw, now
| bank President in New York city
Since leaving the Treasury Mr.. Shaw
has dropped out of the public eye
slightly, but he got himself back again
promptly, for little while at least,
by his bloodthirsty predictions.
Now the Pacific war scare win go
the rounds, just when it seemed to have
worn itself out, for the former Secre-
tary put the matter up in new form.
He told an audience at the Worcester,
Mass, Board of Trade that we were
totally unprepared for conflict on the
Pacific ocean and declared that we did
not have ga transEt,rt, a collier, pow
4
der or supplies TO last forty-eight
hours on that ocean. That sort Of
talk, which the navy men welcome be-
cause it stimulates public interest in
larger appropriations for the navy, was
supplemented by the ex-Seeretary with
more of this character: HSome day,
as sure as Anglo-Saxon blood runs red,
there is to be an awful war. There
are two nations that can contest for
the Pacific, and this war viii be set
tied at awful cost
Tt is intimated that Mr.. Shaw was
speaking for the purpose of stirring
up interest In merchant marine SUBJ
sides quite as much as for the pur-
pose of increasing the naval forces on
the Pacific. He has long been an
ardent advocate of ship subsidies and
it is expected that campaign for the |
enactment of a subsidy law will be |
begun before Congress meets again. |
The friends of that measure want it |
enacted at the coming session and, of |
course, have good arguments to present |
but it is necessary to arouse the peo-
pie from their lethargy on that sub
jeet before Congress is likely TO act
with much energy.
AS far as the navy ON the Pacific
is concerned, the ex-Secretary spoke In
alarmist terms. And yet what he said
along that line, although it should be
taken with considerable discount, viii
be generally accepted Aat its face value.
because he only recently left the
cabinet and will be regarded as using
information that he gained while in
the inner circle of the administration
Inquiry at the Navy Department bu
reaus about our colliers, transports,
powder and other supplies on the Pa
cifc ocean demonstrate that this gov
ernment is as well equipped for hos
tiIities there as is any other nation,
there is great room for i'm
provement and, as matter OF fact
Congress has been appropriating large
sums every year for the increase of
laval equipment much of which is al
otted for ships on the Pacific. The
necessity of further preparations is
Japan is increasing her
.duipment and only short time ago
,rested a big powder mill. What its
apaeity is our naval officers have been
Inable vet to ascertain. Hitherto Japan
las been purchasing her powder in
europe. The powder for the war with
sussia came in large part from Europe.
'apan has also been purchasing her
rmy and navy guns from Europe
specially from England and Germany
but the Mikado has recently built a
ig gun factory. The Japs are very
vidently making quiet but energetic
for readiness for what ?
yer may happen in the Pacific and I
ur naval officers are trying to keep /
breast of them. j!
What ex-Secretary Shaw says about |
ar powder supply is true for both the I
trantic and Pacific probably, and yet |
MS government has quite as much |
owder in reserve for use on the Pa
fic as has Japan. Congress has been I
ppropriating a sum annually for the I
,oring up of a big powder reserve. !
he sum required for reserve,
hich ordnance experts think viii be I
Efficient for all emergencies, is $15,- I
&c. 900. A considerable portion of this .
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