The National tribune., 1907-12-26
UPON THE PACIFIC
Continued from page one.)

cation with them has been only pos
sible by means of great caravans
plodding painfully over the burning
deserts or by a long, tortuous voyage
around the Cape of Good Hope and
across the boundless wastes of the In
dian Ocean, these peoples are now di-
rectly across the Pacific from our west
ern seaports and but little farther away
than London, Amsterdam, Liverpool
and Paris are from our eastern sea-
ports.
We can appreciate the importance of
this by looking back at the history of
the repeated efforts to discover a North
west passage from Europe to China, the
vast amounts of money that have been
expended in exploring expeditions. and
the number of men who have from time
to time sacrificed their lives in this
quest.
If the Northwest passage had been
found it would not have brought China
and Japan anything like as near to
western Europe as they are to-day to
Washington, California and oregon. y
golden harvest stands ready for the
reaping by our manufacturers and mer-
chants, and we would be SHINING against
the light if we did not take proper steps
to secure it. If we do not take it some
one else will, and the surest and most
upon the Pacific.
Fastening Our Hold On the Pacific.
Great Britain has done this with ad-
mirable foresight in controlling the old
sea routes to the Indies. A vessel going
from Europe to the far East, whether
by the way of the South Atlantic and
the Cape of Good Hope or whether she
turned into the Mediterranean and went
thru the Suez Canal. has to at every i'm
portant step OF her progress pass di-
rectly under British guns at the Island
of st. Helena, the Cape of Good Hope,
Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Alden and else
where. She cannot follow any of the
routes to the Orient without coming
under the control of the British artil-
lery.
We have been wisely following the
same policy with regard to the Pacific,
which is to be the worlds future high
way, as the Mediterranean and the At
lantic have been in the past. The ac-
QUESTION of the Philippines was a very
long step in that direction, and for that
reason, if no other, we should retain
possession of all those islands. In addi-
ton to these, we have the Sandwich
Islands firmly in our possession, and
these have been aptly termed the
Crossroads of the Pacific" Samoa
gives US a commanding possession to
the South, and midway between the
Philippines and Hawaii we have Guam
and Wake Islands.
This gives us secure control of the
left flank of the highway across the
Pacific, while it's right flank is even bet
ter secured by Alaska and the Aleutian
Islands, stretching nearly across the
head of the ocean to the northeast
coast of Asia. There are "lanes" across
the Pacific, as across the Atlantic, form
ing routes which all ships follow, and
these strongholds will effectively control
those lanes.
We have been told much about the
effect of the periodical appearance of
the United States flag in the ports of the
world. Now we are not simply send
ing a single flag, but a whole fleet of
fighting ships equal to any,
thing afloat, and they make a naval
pageant which will have the strongest
possible influence upon the peoples of
the Orient. 1t is said that the specta-
Gle of force is one that must deeply
and readily impress people, especially
those of imperfect civilization. If so,
the Japanese, Chinese, Hindus and the
peoples of the islands of the sea, whom
we desire to impress, cannot help being
greatly moved by the magnificent spec
tacle that we shall present to them
More than anything else we can do, it
will exhibit to them the power and
greatness of our country, and incline
their hearts to come into the best DOS
sible relations with us.
Something as to the Pacific.
The Pacific Ocean has always deeply
excited the imaginations of men. Its
vastness and the colossal size of the
stretch of unbroken waters appeals to
everyone strongly. 1t Is estimated that
the area of the ocean reaches the in
comprehensive figure of 10000, 900
square miles, or more than the entire
area of the dry land of the world. It's
greatest length from north to south is
1850 miles and it's greatest breadth,
which is along five degrees north, is
10000 miles. 1t is far the deepest body
of water on the globe, and there are
depths in which the soundings for great
stretches have reached over 1000 faith
oms. Near our island of Guam is the
deepest sounding so far made, where
the lead reached depth of $3.50 faith
oms, or 31,114 feet. The highest noun
tain in the world is believed to be Ever
est, one of the HimaIayas, which at
present is calculated to be 29,002 feet
The highest mountain in this country
is Mount Mckinley, in Alaska, which is
2O,464 feet high, and the highest noun
tain in the United States proper is
Mount Rainier, in Washington, which is
1853 feet high, or less than half these
ocean depths.
The Pacific Ocean has bordering seas.
on the shores of which live a dense
population. These seas are the Bering,
OkhOtsk, Japan, Yellow, Eastern, China,
Celebes, Java, Molucca, Banda and Ara
fura Seas.
The Flag in South America.
Not only will our flag be displayed in
resistless power on the broad Pacific
and to the people of "Ormus and of
Ind" but during it's long journey around
the continent of South America it will
be seen and remarked on by the peoples
of ever country to the south of US This
cannot help being of the best effect in
promoting the relations which our
statesmen are trying to establish with
the Spanish-American and Portuguese
countries. The fleet will first appear in
the ports of our sister Republic of Bra
I'll, and thence proceed to the rapidly
developing Argentine Republic. Next
it will pass far to the south thrs the
historic Straits of Magellan, and the
passage of so many great ships, involv-
ing such a vast amount of the National
treasure, thru this storm beaten stretch
of waters will be watched with much
interest
The Straits of Magellan are an ir-
regular, winding passage between the
Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, sep
arating the islands of TERRA del Fuego
from the southern extremity of the
South American continent, about lati-
tude SO degrees south. Its extreme
length is $40 miles, and its breadth
varies from two and a half to 70 miles.
1t has various bays and branches, espe-
cially at its southwestern end, where it
separates into channels. inclOsing a