The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-10-29
BRITAIN TO HAVE
NEW NAVAL BASE
Bombay Chosen-Hongkong Too
Far From Persian Gulf
Harbor Work First.

LONDON, October s.-Bombay will
in the future play n very important
part in the naval defense of the en-
pire. 1t was only after the most care
full consideration that it was decided
to make Bombay the new naval base
in the East. The condition of affairs
in Persia is still somewhat unsettled,
and the desirability of having naval
base within easy reach of the vessels
which in the future, more than in tAs
past, will be detailed to patrol the gulf,
led the authorities to decide on Bonn
bay as the base. Hongkong had been
seriously considered, but the idea was
finally abandoned owing to it's distance
from the Persian gulf. One of the
main difficulties that has to be con-
tended with, and that seems at the
moment to be on the increase, is the
running trade. 1t is of the utmost
Importance that this traffic should be
Immediately stopped.
The existing dockyard at Bombay is
by no means large enough nor sufficient
ly well equipped to meet the demands
that will be made upon it. The first
step toward the enlargement of the
harbOr has been taken, and a new
breakwater is under construction which
will enable the largest warships to lie
at anchor in the harbor at all states
of the tide. A sum of about 100000
was sanctioned for the building of this
breakwater, which was commenced
some five years ago, and extends 1900
feet out to sea with width at the top
of 80 feet. The intention now is to
very considerably lengthen this break
water with the result that basin of
some so or 60 acres in area will be
enclosed.
The new basin will be deepened to
allow of the passage of the largest war
vessels, and large dredgers will be sent
out from this country to do the work,
including the removal of some sand
banks which might prove hindrance
to the navigation of large vessels.
AS a naval base Bombay must be in
a position to carry out the necessary
repairs and to supply the necessary
equipments for the whole fleet, and
since it has been decided that the num-
Der of vessels in these waters will be
considerably increased, the accommoda.
ton of the dockyard must be icreased.
There is any amount of available land
in the neighborhood, and one of the
first and most important undertakings
will be the construction of new grav-
ing dock capable of accommodating the
largest vessels yet built.
The greater portion of the machinery
and plant in the dockyard was laid
down some considerable time ago, and
is now somewhat obsolete. Machinery
of the latest type and including many
labor-saving devices which are univer-
sally employed today, will be installed,
so that there will be the minimum
of delay in the repairing and refitting
of any vessels that may put into the
dockyard for that purpose.
By no means the least important ad-
dition to the dockyard will be the in
stallation of a wireless telegraph sta
ton, one of which it is understood wiz
also be placed at Alden. Nothing viii
do more to assist in stamping out the
gun-running trade than this rapid and
easy means of communication, for, as
soon as a suspected dhow is seen to
leave Alden in the direction of the gulf,
the Bombay station would be warned
and n war vessel would at once be de-
spatched to intercept the contraband-
laden craft before she could seek safety
in the shallow waters where they know
only too well that war vessel of any
draft is unable to approach them.