The Washington herald., 1908-08-16

authority on naval strategy and develop
ment. as applied 10 international affairs.
Capt A T Mahan, had to say on this
subject in 1893:
To any one viewing a map that shows
the full extent OF the Pacific, two cir
cUmstances viii be strikingly and imme-
diately apparent He viii see at a glance
that the Sandwich Islands stand by them
selves in a state OF comparative isolation,
amid a vast expanse Of sea; and. again.
that they form the center OF a large circle
whose radius is approximately the dis
tance from Honolulu 10 san Francisco
This IS substantially the same distance
as from Honolulu 10 the Gilbert. Mar
shall. Samoan. and Society Islands. all
under European control except Samoa. in
which we have a part influence
To have q central position such as this
and 20 be alone having no rival and ad-
F hitting no rival are conditions that at
/ once FIX the attention OF the strategiSL
i But 20 this striking combination is 70 be
added the remarkable relations borne 10
the great commercial routes JraveTsing
I this vast expanse-
/ Too much stress cannot be laid upon
1 the immense disadvantage 10 Us OF any
bTnaritine enemy having q cOaling station
aLAALIl -rlN Lll4-t1H e1S A--AS ASs %
I point Of our coast line from Puget Sound
/ 70 Mexico. Were there many others avail
able we might find Il difficult to exclude
I from all There is, however. but the one
Shut out from the Sandwich Islands as
I & coal base. an enemy IS thrown back for
/ supplies OF fuel 10 distances OF $3.50 or
I 4.015 miles. or between 700 and 5000 going
and coning-an fmpedinent to sustained
! maritime operations well nigh prohibiJive-
g. frTT- zrr~ f
I the attack or defense OF = coast Iine-of
/ q sea frontiers concentrated in single
I position"
Our Treaty Right 10 HarbOr.
I It would be superiuous 10 add anything
! TO emphasize the urgent need OF develop
/ ing Pearl Harb0r. but It IS Of interest to
I note that the United States has had the
right 10 improve Il for more than twenty
I two years and not until the present year.
/ when It became known that the Atlantic
I feet would call at Honolulu. was any
I thing done 10 advance the matter In 1856.
in the first administration of President
/ Cleveland. a treaty was ratified between
/ Hawaii and the United States which said.
/ His Majesty the King Of the Hawaiian
I Islands grants 10 the government OF the
/ United States the exclusive right 10 enter
. the harbor OF Pearl River. in the Island OF
/ Oahu. and 10 establish there coalIng
{ and repair station for the use Of vessels
Of the United States, and 70 that end the
1 United States may improve the entrance
I 10 said harbor and do all other things
. needtul 10 the purpose aforesaid"
Thus was the right given 10 this coun-
Try in the days OF the Hawaiian mon
/ archy 10 make Pearl Harbor the outpost
.-.a 1T
g-ess in 1907, fourteen years later, appr0-
priated $4,000 10 purchase a site on the
shores OF the harbOr for a naval station
In July 1902 the purchase OF - acres OF
+ land, mainly on the south shore OF East
/ Loeb OF the haroor, was made at a cost
Of S156,0l4- A appropriation had also
Z been made n 2 river and harbor bII for
. eNcava-lng the sandbar al the entrance
F 10 the channel. and at q cost OF about
s-0a660 q channel, 80 feet wide 80 feet
Z deep and loo feet long has been dredged.
Il VIII be seen that vessels having a
. draft Of = feet or less nav now enter
. the harbor, although there remains nee
! essarE the removal Of several minor OBJ
. strVCJious which make such an attempted
/ entrance inadvisable except under the
most favorable conditions
/ Appropriation Made for a St-4r1.
/ That is all that has been done for the
. Development Of the harbor since the Unit
ed States obtained the exclusive control
over IT, Nov Congress has actually or
dered the Improvement Of this harbOr and
has set aside 10000 TO begin Il And
what IS OF even more significance IS the
fact that the arrival Of this Atlantic feet
marks the actual beginning Of the work
for on this feet IS q board Of officers
whose duty Il IS TO lay down a general
plan Of improvement That board IS