Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-02-04
War Department Talks
In Plain Language
To congress
UNDEFENDED San PECR0 IS
TEMPTATION TO ENEMY
Where Pearl Harbor Comes in With
Contest With Oriental Power.
Summing Up

Washington, Jan. 21.--lt is under.
stood that tomorrow the war depart.
ment will send to congress a special
report urging that all the coast de.
lenses OF the Pacific coast from San
Diego north be put In effective repair.
II this report proves true It will be re.
garded las an unusual proceeding In
time of peace.
A report calling for an immediate
appropriation Of 1856 900 for fortify.
ing San Pedro harbor was sent to con.
gress today by the general stan OF
the army. Coming as II does when
there Is more or less talk of possible
trouble with Japan II Is considered to
be almost sensational in its insistence
for early action and In its conclusions
that unless San Pedro be fortified an
enemy might take the harbor and use
II for base Of operations against the
entire Pacific coast and the Panama
canal The report distinctly mentions
"a certain oriental power" without Civ.
ing the name of that power.
Could Land Army.
The report says that, unfortified as
It Is, San Pedro offers an excellent OPP
portunity for an enemy to operate
against the Pacific coast.
Recent study discloses the fact"
says the report, that, assuming there
was no effective naval opposition, a
certain oriental power could, within n
month OF the time It's hostile inten.
tons began to be even strongly sus-
pccted "a formal declaration Of war
would no doubt come good deal
later l7nl on our Pacific coast an ex.
petition Of an estimated maximum Of
about 100 0O0 men; AMI that such a
force could be augmented by, the end
OF two months more TO n total OF pos
sibly 100000 The ease with which
San Pedro harbor unfortihed, and
through II the entire Los Ar~". ~
country could be seized, Is apparent
The report lays stress upon the rich
ness Of the country adjacent to the
harbor and declares that II could sup
port population Of 4.0O0,0 900. II IL
| pointed out that Unalaska or Pearl
Tarbor, both of which could be seized
by the enemy from the orient" are
within striking distance Of San Pedro.
Good Base for Enemy. e..
at is apparent that 80 far as loca.
ton Is CONCERNED" continues the re.
port, San Pedro would be good base
for an enemy to operate against our
Pacific coast"
That II would be practically impos.
sible for the United States to regain
| possession Of the country after its
occupation by the enemy Is pointed
out and maps are submitted to bear
ont this claim.
without fertilization" adds the re.
port, every addition to the existing
breakwater, every increase In the
width and depth Of the inner harbor
and every Improvement In the wharf
and railroad facilities is Just so much
session and to maintain himself In
such possession"
Defenses 10 Urged.
Reference is had to a report made
by what Is known as the Taft coast
defense board of 1906, and In this con.
nection the report says:
THE changed conditions since the
Taft board report that now render the
fertilization Of San Pedro harbor i'm.
pcrative may be summed up as fol.
lows: r.....
81. The development Of San Pedro
harbor.
"2. The great potential strength as
an enemy which certain oriental
power has recently acquired.
AS an additional argument In
rounding out this report, It may be
stated that the suggestive effect Of
| public discussion OF war contingencies
upon the Pacific coast has undoubted.
ly been to provoke international an.
tagonism of the grayest character.
Adequate Notifications at San Ped.
70 would c'i;ainly remove one now
conspicuous cause OF that kind of agi
tation that leads to unfortunate dis.
cussion of our foreign relations, and
1t would thereby promote that appear.
ance OF friendliness which the United
States desires to maintain toward its