The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-11-30
PEARL HARBOR.
! GREAT NAVAL
BASE
Administrations Big Project Ex-
cites Great Interest in
the East.
IMPORTANCE Is RECOGNIZED
Americas Safety From Attacks
Depends Upon Possession
of Hawaii.
IMPORTANCE IS RECOGNIZED

The New York Evening Sun of No
vember 10 gives much of its front'pase
space to story from Washington ON
the decision of the administration to
make Pearl Harbor Americas greatest
naval base. The story is illustrated
with n cut of the famous 'Crossroads
of the Pacific map prepared by ii.
p. Wood of the promotion committee,
a picture of Pearl Harbor, and a map
of Pearl Harbor showing the sites of
the naval station and big-gun batter
les. Much of the story is devoted to
a history of the movement to make
Pearl Harbor a base, from the time
the Hawaiian monarchy gave the Unit
ed States the right to use the harbor
for coaling station, up to the pres
ent time, when the congressional APP
preparations are being devoted to de-
I welcoming the base, all of which is in
teresting. The Sun S story follows:
The decision announced at the navy
department following conference be-
tween President Taft and Secretary
Never will make Pearl Harbor, Ha-
wall. the chief Pacific naval base of
the United States. The strategic i'm
portance of Pearl Harbor has long
ibeen recognized by naval officers of all
4 nations, and even to the layman a
glance at map of the Pacific is sutfi-
cient to show the reasons for this wide
spread opinion. One of the finest nat
ural harbors in the world, situated
2RO0 miles southwest from San Fran
cisco. it commands the great CONNER
Sial highways of the Pacific that lead
Ito the western American ports and TO
1.-THE Panama Canal. The Importance of
{ this stronghold in the event of war
! with any Pacific naval power can
scarcely be overestimated.
Long ago, in 1898, before Japan IS
startling leap into a high position
among the world powers, Capt. A. t.
Mahan, probably the foremost author
ity on naval strategy, in discussing the
strategic position of the Hawaiian is
lands, said:
''To anyone viewing map that
shows the full extent of the Pacific
two circumstances will be strikingly
and Immediately apparent. He will
see at a glance that the Sandwich Is
lands stand by themselves in state
of comparative isolation, amid 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 substantially the same distance as
from Honolulu to the Gilbert, Mar.
shall, Samoan and Society islands, all
under European control except Samoa,
in which we have part influence.
"To have central position such as
this and to be alone, having no rival
and admitting no rival, are conditions
that at once fix the attention of the
strategist. But to this striking com
bination is to be added the remarkable
relations borne to the great CONNER.
cial routes traversing this vast ex-
panse.
Too much stress can not be laid
upon the immense disadvantage to us
of any maritime enemy having coal
ing station well within 2400 miles. as
this is. of every point of our coastline
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 Hawaiian Islands as a
coal base, an enemy is thrown back
for supplies of fuel to distances of
$500 or 1000 miles, or between 1000
and 5000 going and coming-an i'm.
pediment to sustained maritime opera,
tions well nigh prohibitive. 1t is rare.
ly that So important factor in the
attack or defense of n constituent a
sea frontier-is concentrated in "a sin
gle position
II is small wonder, then, that after
long discussion of this subject the Joint
army and navy board recommended
that Pearl Harbor be made ms nearly
ms possible an impregnable stronghold
There will be small naval repair sta
ton az Snbig Bay, in the Philippines
and the work Of terrifying Corregidol
Island viii be completed by the army
but the Hawaiian base will be III,
strategic center of our Pacific nayu
defense.
As long ngo ~ last year the commit
tee on naval affairs OF the house OF
Representatives, in advocating an an
preparation for racide naval base
raid IN ~ report 10 ihe honHel
- In the judgment ~ your c0mmitie,
The new developments on the Pacific ans
among the nniipnu that border on Ia
shores make u imperative that 4 strong
operating base be- established for Onl
navy az Pearl llarbaT without further
delay, A naval bass af Pearl llarh0
u NOT designed primarily Tor tho pro
ieeilan ~ Hawaii, lie maln purI0si
h 10 form y hufleg % dpfopse fog 0ul
satire fsrina Coast apd ~ make poe
s|hlr ppf naval supremacy upon ihs va
flae Az eafuy ~ tbs pnpssssloa NJ