The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-17

The Report of the Committee
on the Administration
Measure.

The Siberia mails brought the Ad.
vertiser considerable Pearl Harbol
matter, including the report of tbs
Committee on Naval Affairs on estab-
fishing a naval base at that point
The report follows:
The Committee on Naval Affairs
having had under consideration the
bill Oh. r. 1920 to establish naval
station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. re-
port the same with the recommends
ton that it do pass without amend
ment.
The Hawaiian Islands afford the
only possible location for a strong
naval base in the central Pacific Ocean
for distance of over 1000 miles from
our western coast.
Pearl Harbor is beyond question one
/ iJf the best, if not the best, natural
| harbor in the world. It has a depth
/ of water of over so feet and an area
/ of nearly 10 square miles, and capa-
| BILE of floating the combined navies of
| the world. 1t is not only Iandlocked.
| but, by reason of the topography of
the surrounding ground, ships lying in
| this harbor are out of view from the
open sea. 1t is the only practicable
site for naval base in the Pacific
Ocean, and is the recognized key to
naval supremacy in those waters. It's
equipment as an operating base is a
prerequisite to the most successful OPP
Grafton of our fleets whether offensive
or defensive.
For over sixty-five years the United
States Government has officially rec
ognized the strategic Importance of the
Hawaiian Islands and the necessity of
preventing their occupation by any
other nation.
Beginning in 1912 President Tyler
gave notice to all European nations
that the United States would never
consent to their occupying Hawaii or
establishing any naval base there.
This Monroe Doctrine of the Pa
cific" was reiterated by Daniel. Web
ster, as Secretary of State, in 1851, and
by William L. Marcy, the great Dem |
ocratic Secretary of State, by James /
G. Blaine, and by William Mckinley. j
Captain (now AdmiraD A T. Ma /
han, writing in 1898, came to the con-
illusions: /
ITO any one viewing a map that |
shows the full extent of the Pacific, I
two circumstances will be +
strikingIy and Immediately apparent
He will see at a glance that the Sand
witch Islands stand by themselves in
a state of comparative isolation, amid
a vast expanse of sea; and, again,
that they form the center of large
circle whose radius is approximately
the distance from Honolulu to San
Francisco. This is suhstan-
TALLY the same distance as from Ho-
nolulu to the Gilbert, Marshall, Sa-
moan, and Society Islands, all under
European control except Samoa, in
which we have part influence.
ITO have a central position such as
this,s and to be alone, having no rival
and admitting no rival, are
conditions that at once fix the atten-
ton of the strategist. But to
this striking combination is to be add
ed the remarkable relations borne
to the great commercial routes
this vast expanse.
TOO much stress can not be laid
upon the immense disadvantage to us
of any maritime enemy having q. coal
this is, of every point of our coast
line from Puget Sound to Mexico. Were
there many others available we might
find it difficult to exclude from all.
There is, however, but the one. Shut
out from the Sandwich Islands as a
coal base, an enemy is thrown back
for supplies of fuel to distances of
35GD or 1000 miles-or between 1000
and 5000 going and coming-an imped-
Iment to sustained maritime operations
we'll nigh prohibitive. It is
rarely that so important a factor in
the attack or defense of a coast line
of a sea frontiers concentrated in
a single position, and the circum-
stance renders doubly imperative upon
US to secure it if we righteously can"
Twenty-Five years ago, by the reci-
procity treaty with King Kalakaua.
The United States acquired the right
20 establish a naval base on Pearl
Harbor.
Ten years ago this nation, foresee-
ng the likelihood that they might fall
into the hands of an Oriental nation,
annexed the Hawaiian Islands. This
action was taken primarily
because of the strategic value of the
Hawaiian Islands and for the purpose
IF establishing a strong naval base
IN Pearl Harbor.
Since that time a magnificent site
or naval station, consisting of over
800 acres of land, has been purchased
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