The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-22
MUCH WORK At HONOLULU.
FROM NAVAL PROGRAM |
Continued from Page oneo.

emphasized interminably in Congress
during the long discussions about the
annexation of the Hawaiian Islands.
There is no wish to unduly inhame
Japan as this step is being taken.
Therefore the denials. Nevertheless the
preparations viii progress steadily for
they are inevitable. Under modern
conditions, with struggle for the COM
mercial supremacy of the Pacific just
beginning, with China in state of
constant agitation which, to a degree,
menaces American interests, it is inevi-
table that this government should in
crease its naval strength in that quar-
ter of the world. The government has
been spenuIn@ miInons and viii spend
several millions more in fortifying the
Philippines and Hawaii. A big bat
tleship fleet is the natural complement
to these great Notifications.
Back of it ALL too, is a desire to be
able at a moment s notice to cope with
Japan. That country is constantly in
creasing its naval and military
strength. Its navy is not yet the
equal of ours, but more ships are being
constructed; war equipment is being
manufactured in Japan and also pur
chased in Europe. The moving spirits
of the Navy Department reason that if
Japan can properly increase her de-
fenses in the Pacific this government
can do so with prOpriety.
The battleship fleet on the Atlantic
has now come to be very large with
the accession of new ships. More are
being built, so that a dozen battleships
of the first class-which is approx
mately the strength of Japan-can
easily be spared from the Atlantic
strength. OF course, the Navy Depart
ment is looking forward to the day
when the Panama Canal is completed,
so that in the course of a couple of
weeks a powerful fleet of battleships
can be transferred from one ocean to
the other, as may be required. But
that day is probably eight or ten years
distant. 1t is estimated that it will
cost 100000 for coal to send a dozen or
more battleships now from the Atlantic
TO the Pacific, whether the ships go
around the Horn, as did the Oregon at
the beginning of the Spanish War, or
through the SueZ Canal and on the
long voyage through the Indian Ocean.
However, it costs something to keep
these ships in steaming coal when they
are cruising between summer resorts
on the Atlantic seaboard, so that the
actual cost of the transfer will not be
as large as one might think at first
blush.
There are now numerous repair shops
for warships along the Atlantic Coast,
all the way from Norfolk, Va, TO
Portsmouth, y. H. In recent years all
these navy yards have been equipped
with machinery, new and large build
ings, dTydOcks, etc. Portsmouth,
Brooklyn, League Island and Norfolk
have splendid facilities for maintaining
and supplying a great fleet. In time of
war, when it might become necessary
TO make extensive repairs to ships,
these navy yards would be invaluable.
1t will require the expenditure of a
lot of money to duplicate the navy
yard equipment on the Pacific. but the
nuclei for just as good repair and sup
ply plants are there. Honolulu Will
probably have a navy yard in the
course of a few years to compare with
the Brooklyn Yard. There is already a
big plant at Cavite. Mare Island, as
has been stated, has been developed
into navy yard of the first rank. The
yard at Bremerton. Washington state,
is capable Of a large development. AS
British Columbia is rapidly growing in
population and resources. there is rea-
son Tor maintaining big navy plant
there-as much reason as there is FOL