The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-23
Commercial Supremacy
on the Pacific
What 1t Means and the Roads of the Sea
by Which 1t Is Maintained.
(san Francisco Chronicle.)


geography are collateral studies and
that one is definite study and the
other a definite and equally as
important a study also. is to a large
degree erroneous. Geography is and
always will be but supplementary
element of history, or to be more plain
whatever history DEGREES that geo.
graphy shall be it must conform to the
changes made for it. Hence the plac-
ing of a flag on one continent today
is not a geograp hica1 record, but a his
torical record, for tomorrow a war may
come along and the map of next years
making will have another flag upon it.
This is political geography and polit-
zeal geography is about the most in
teresting study with which man can
&fccupy his spare time. The other half
SCI the study of the earth's geographical
sEmake-up, commonly known as physical
Reogra ply, is a practically changeless
thing and is merely altered by the ad-
dition of some hitherto unexplored
realm recently discovered and charted
for mans information. In addition TO
the two grand divisions of geographic
cal research and observation we have
a study called international trade. The
combination of history, international
trade and political geography is the
story OF mans advancement as unit
in whatever age we are studying.
To begin with, take the physical
geography of the Pacific. On the side
bounded by the American continent
will be found, in the northern hemis-
phere. but three political divisions
Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The coast line of this continent is q
practically continuous one, broken here
and there with several superb harhors
and endowed with natural resources
which are unlimited. The distinguish
ing feature of this coast line is that
If forms the boundary of the Pacific
as a single line along the shores OF
which are few islands and none of any
geographical Importance.
The eastern shore of the Pacific IS
as different in formation as can pos
siblv be imagined. for it is formed OF
innumerable islands of every imag1n-
able size, formation and POSITION
while the continental boundary of the
main continent of Asia does not touch
sthe ocean proper at all but lies behind
This endless chain of islands. The prln-
cipal of these islands are occupied by
the Japanese nation. other islands, far
Jout in the Pacific, and separated by
great distance from the mainland
which are of any Importance at all are
few. the principal ones being samoa,
Tahiti and the islands of Hawai-.
This. in brief, is the physical geog-
rapby of the largest grand division OF
water on the globe-the PACING ocean
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE
PACIFIC.
The political geography of the Pa
cific is not so simple as one would
suppose. The Occidental or Western
map. popularity so-called, embraces that
land occupied by the white man, ana
is made up of the three grand polucal
divisions mentioned before-Canada'
the United States and Mexlco-the
southern hemisphere being eliminated
from this consideration for reasons
which will later appear Hence, the
United States, having the longest 'front.'
age on the Pacific, its people, Sd TO
sneak. are the custodians of the west
arn boundary line of the Pacific ocean.
The eastern edge of the Pacific being
made IN almost entirely of islands,
and these islands being occupied en-
tirely by the Japanese nation, Japan,
in turn, is the natural CUSTODIAN Oh
this shore line. But there is somethNls
more TO be considered when we look
at the eastern side of the Paclncs
Amap. On the western side we nave
hut one great people, the people o.
the United States-practcally unit
On the eastern side we have the Jap
ssnese islands, acting merely as SORT
of barrier or frontier for the cohtihen'
proper upon which and behind when
lies the Orient as whole. me Gen
milton Orient is little understood, Tor
in the popular mind it is generally con-
ceived as meaning India, China ana
Japan. AS matter of fact the ORIENT
or that realm in which things oriental
are dominant. is a grand division OF
the earth's surface comprising more
than one-half of the globes popuia-
ton.
The Orient includes. contrary to gem
eral information and belief, not merely
India. China and Japan, but Morocco
Algiers. Tunis, Trlpon and Egypr' IN
Africa: Turkey, in Europe and ASA
and Persia. Ceylon, Burma, the Ma
Iavan peninsula, Java and other East
Indian islands. Siam, French Indo-
China. the Philippines, China, Corea
and japan. and its total population Is
in round numbers nearly 9OO,Ooo,Ooo'
while the remainder of the world mas
less than 100000 600. More than two
thirds of this vast horde live III the
tropics. Thus, against the ohiteo
States as a unit on one shore hes d
eanposite group of similar oriental /
neople so much greater in numerical I
strength as to dwarf the white man
position into insignificance But Jusl I
here we come to the key of the Paclhe {
xthe central force of the whole great
study and problem--which explains the i
balance of trade, the harmony of these :
two great divisions of humanity anu &
makes clear the story of the Pacinc. I
And this key is the story of trade or I
exchange of what the Orient has TO {
offer TO the white man in return for g
what the white man has to ofIer 10 t
the Orient. {
II consolidating the story of the Pa {