The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-07
NAVY AND THE
PACIFIC COAST

WASHINGTON, December 25.-In
| the opinion of the Senators from the
| Pacific Coast the REIMBURSEMENT by Sec
| rectary Bonaparte of the Navy port
folio is not an unmixed evil. Bonaparte
never pretended to know much about
| naval matters, and if he had remained
long enough in Office he might have
given the country an administration of
the Navy Department rivaling the Gill
bert and Sullivan idea of the British
Navy as exemplifed in III. NJ. s. Pima
fore.'
Secretary Bonaparte was appealed to
last session by Senators Perkins of
California, and Piles of Washington,
representing the Pacific Coast States,
for Naval bases in Pacific water and
better equipment in the Navy yards.
The Secretary put them off, saying that
he would take the matter up with the
bureau chiefs, as he was not very well
informed on such matters. So time
passed and nothing was done.
With the induction of Secretary Met
calf into Office hope has been rekindled
in the breasts of the Pacific States
Senator's They have gone to Metcalf
and urged on him the desirability, even
the necessity, of transferring one-half
of the battle-ships of the country to
the Pacific Coast.
"What is the use, said Senator Per-
kins, "of sending out battleships to the
Indian ocean and to other PARKWAY
portions of the globe, when at any time
they might be needed at home for the
protection of our populous seaports9
The English Government does not pur-
sue any such policy. It keeps its fight
ing ships where they are most likely
to be serviceable to the country in time
of need
But that is not all that the senior
Senator from California wants, and in
the request for which the Senator from
Seattle JOINS him.
eve want said Senator Perkins,
Diego and Seattle, so that the war ships
can cruise up and down the coast, with
places of rendezvous. I de-
sire also to have liberal appropriations
given to the navy yards at Mare island
and Bremerton, at each of which places |
the Government ought to have a new |
ship on the stocks all the time. All re-
pairs to war ships and transports /
should be made at the Government navy |
yards. This item of repairs is very ex-
pensive and large saving could be
made by the Government by doing such |
work itself. The delegation will also
ask for coaling stations at San Diego,
San Francisco and in the Aleutian is
ands.
81 had talk with Senator Piles In
regard to stopping the knocking Of |
me locality on the Coast against other
localities, and he agreed with me that
Iuch tactics weakened our influence and
,ught to be stopped. We have tried to
impress this idea on the newspapers.
The. result, I think, will be that we
hall go before the Secretary Of the
Navy, and the Appropriations Commit
zee and present a. united front for the
Whole Pacific Coast in regard to fortif-
ations and coast defense. % Il /.
eve maintain that therey are tool
many navy yards ON the Atlantic COAST
nd not enough of them on the Pacific.
Ne also want more Notifications. II .
hall remain in Washington during the
Holiday recess and, with the Appropria.l
ions Committee, of which Lam .menis I
er; do all Lean to get reasonable items !
llowed for coast protection Il
Congressman Hayes will also remain f.
a Washington during the recess. He
aid he approved Iulfy of Senator Per-
ms program, and that he wanted to
ee the coast provided with more ships,
lore forts and better navy yards. II