The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-23
PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE
WAR ALONG THE PACIFIC
Army, as Well as Navy, Increasing in Effective
ness---Question of Harbor Defenses
and transportation.

I the army is maintained at about $4,000
men, The additional 10000 will be
filled In if necessity requires, and then
would come the falling back by the
nation upon a policy that has prevail
ed with this republic ever since the
war of independence of depending upon
| the matchless resources of the nation
for augmenting the fighting force.
PACIFIC COAST DEFENsEs.
So far as the Pacific is concerned, the
war officials of the United States have
been busy during the past few years
providing adequate coast defenses.
During the Spanish war, and for a
short time thereafter, the coast de-
lenses of the Atlantic seaboard were
greatly strengthened until today they
are probably adequate to meet the at
tack of any ordinary feet that might
enter the waters of that seaboard.
To some extent this situation is be-
ing secured in the Pacific. The coast
defenses of Puget Sound and the Col
umbia river, at San Francisco and San
Diego, are coming to be what the ord
nance officers of the army say are fit
ting to the needs of the time. 1t is
probable that these defenses are pro-
portionately stronger than is our naval
equipment along the Pacific coast.
The ordnance officers have attended
to it that in the seacoast defenses
along the Pacific the latest type OF
high power siege guns and long range
batteries have been stationed to pro-
tect the harbors and great interests
at the points mentioned. The seacoast
artillery is being constantly strength
ened and the stations at the point
where the defenses require such equip
ment are supplied with facilities for
sinking mines in the event of the
declaration of war.
Comparatively little has been done
by the war officials towards equipping
other points on the Pacific with coast
defense outfits. There are military and
naval stations at various points under
the flag of the nation, from Alaska to
the Philippines and Samoa. The equip
ment at these points is comparatively
inadequate, but constitutes a nucleus
out of which much could be made in
an emergency.
PEARL ~HARBOR TALK.
At the time of the acquisition OF
Hawaii there was much said in the de-
bates in congress about the splendid
addition to the naval strength of the
United States through coming into pos
session OF Pearl Harbor. One would
have thought from the talk then IN
dulged in that in Pearl Harbor by this
time would have arisen as complete a
naval establishment as is to be found
in the world, and would be adequately
protected by coast defenses and harbor
mines if the necessity required. SINH
lar comment was made with regard to
the Manila harbor, and the opportunl-
ties presented at Subig Bay. The
progress made with reference to the
naval equipment has extended thus far
only to the repair shops and facilities
for coal supply. The defenses are upon
a like small basis.
1t is the common comment of the
experts in the war department that
it is only by force of the occa-
sional "war fiurries," such as have at
tended the talk about war with Japan,
that the sentiment of the country is
aroused so as properly to back congress
in the desired legislation. 1t is regarded
as absolutely necessary for the proper
defense of Pacific interests that there |
shall be as much attention paid during |
the next two years to the infantry arm
and to the forces required at stations
around Pacific waters as that there
shall also be material additions to the |
artillery strength.
There are approximately sixteen sta |
tions in Pacific waters at which there |
is more or less infantry and artillery |
force, in addition to whatever naval |
equipment has been assigned to those
regions. Along the Pacific coast from
Alaska, through Washington, Oregon
and Southern California, there are a
score of posts at which are stationed |
more or less infantry and artillery.
ARTILLERY FOR HAWAII
In the Philippines there are several
of engineers, hospital corps,
signal corps, twelve companies of cav
airy, six sections of field artillery, and |
nine regiments of infantry.
The day is probably not far distant
when arrangements will be completed |
for the stationing of artillery and in
fantry at other points on the Pacific,
at Hawaii, Guam and the
The great problem, however, with
this as with all nations, is the trans
portation of troops and munitions of
war over the vast expanse of waters
the Pacific If the danger
of war really threatened the United
States, it would doubtless be necessary
to speedily equip a large fleet of trans
ports for placing infantry, cavalry and
field artillery at various points in the
and Hawaii This would
be necessary in order to prevent the in
vasion of those islands by large force
of an enemy.
WEAKA .4SS IN SHIPPING.
The small fleet of vessels carrying the
flag of the United States in the over
ocean carrying trade has made it neces-
sarv, whenever the transportation OF
troops and munitions of war to distant
are called for. to lean upon
foreign nations Tor ships. This was EN-
the case during the war with
Spain and in the subsequent hostIlt1es