The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-11-30


well equipped base at Pearl Harbor
no fleet from the Orient would find it
practicable to threaten our coast be-
cause of the stronghold left in their
rear and of the prohibitive distance
from their coaling base. The equipment
of Pearl Harbor is therefore q matter
of prudence and not of extravaganza.
1t will constitute one of the strongest |
factors in the prevention of war with
any power in the Far East.
That other naval authorities are
equally convinced of the Importance of
this position is evidenced in paper
written by Lieut.. -Comdr. Edward l..
Beach in the United States Naval In
stitute.
In discussing the future of Hawaii in
the event of naval war in the Pacific,
he said:
elm the possession of Hawaii our
naval strength in the Pacific is inn
measurably Increased if Hawaii be Sc
cure from the enemy. But if the enemy
take it and keep it, our naval strength
is weakened in the same ratio. Hold
ing Hawaii, our Pacific Coast is abb
solutely safe from attack. And yet
Hawaii remains inadequately fortified
Should war be waged on the Pacific in
the absence of our fleet our island pos
sessions must succumb, and our fleet
must start from ports of our Pacific
home base laden with stores and coal.
The effect of this may be to make our
battleships armored cruisers, for 1T is
well known that the tops of the armor
belts of our battleships are already
close to the water line, and if the ships
be overladen they will be beneath 1t.
And in each of the days of the first
| fortnight's voyage under these damag-
| ing conditions of overload, the fleet Will
be exposed to battleship attack from
an enemy which has acquired, by pre-
| liminary conquest of the American Ter
| ritorv of Hawaii, base from which
to deliver blows within fve-day radius
and with its own choice of position.
The United States has had the right
To establish naval base at Pearl Har-
Dor for many years. A treaty, made
between the United States and Hawaii,
contained the follsTing provisions:
ellis Majesty fie King the Ha-
| waiian Islands, lsfants to the govern
ment of the United States the ex-
elusive rigth to center the harbor of
Pearl River, IN The Island of Oahu,
| and to establisAFthere coaling and
repair station for the use of vessels of
| the United States, and to that end the
United States may improve the en-
trance to said harbor and do all other
things needful to the. purpose afore-
said.''
Not until 1900, did congress appro-
pirate money to buy site for naval
station on the shores of the harbor.
The appropriation was for $15O00O, and
in July, 1902, 725 acres were purchased,
| for the most part on the south shore
of East Locn. An appropriation was
also made and work was begun for
the dredging of the channel through
the sandbar. In 1908 congress includ-
ed the following provisions in the navy
appropriation bill:
''The secretary of the navy is here
by authorized and directed to estab-
fish a naval station at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, on the site heretofore acquir-
| ed for that purpose, and to- erect there
at all necessary machine shops, store
houses, coal sheds and other necessary
buildings, and TO build thereat one grav-
ing drydock capable of receiving the
largest war vessel of the navy at a
cost not to exceed $2,000,00O for said
drydock. The sums hereinafter stated
are heleDy Appropriated anu maui LIN
mediately available at the discretion
of the secretary of the navy, to wit:
Toward dredging an entrance channel
of a depth of thirty6ve feet, 100000.
toward construction of drydock, $780,
900; toward erection of machine shops
Ito cost $S00,0O0), 100000; toward
erection of storehouses Ito cost $780,
000), 100000; toward yard Develop
ment, $100,000-in all, $1,000,O00.''
On the feet when it visited Homo
lulu on the roundthe-world voyage was
a board of officers, accompanied by
Rear-Admiral w. L. Capps and headed
by Rear-Admiral Seaton Schroeder, who
made careful investigation of condi-
tons at Pearl Harbor in order to re-
port to the secretary of the navy
Later there was much discussion be.
tween the army and navy authorities
over the matter of the best side for
a naval base, and it was reported that
in some regards the two services were
not in complete accord.
Now the matter appears to have
been definitely settled by the recon
mendation of the joint army and navy
board and the subsequent approval of
the President and the secretary of She
navy. and doubtless the work of max
ing Pearl Harbor one of the most i'm.
portant naval bases in the world will
go forward without delay.
|