The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1910-11-11

CONGRESS- HAS SAY
AS TO SELECTION


S0S FVvVA
Secretary George Won l.. Meyer. oI
the United States navy department,
has completed what he terms 40 In.
spcction of the naval stations VI the
Pacific slope and the gulf coast. Some
weeks ago, while 10 New Orleans,
Mr.. Meyer Il quoted as having pro.
nounccd IN favor Of Guantanamo,
Cuba. as the ideal sIte for a gigantic
naval station under the direction aud
control OF the government. This pro.
nouncement, uodcr the circumstances,
before he had personally y Inspected the
Cuban site, places the secretary In
the light OF wilful discrimination
against native American ports, the
natural, legitimate and necessary
location for an adequately defended
base for navy operations 10 the gulf,
such as will be necessary when the
Panama canal Is opened for general
trafiic. A base Of gigantic dimensions
will be absolutely essential II the
government persists In It's apparent
determination to fortify the canal
It Is well to understand and bear
In mind that Mr.. Meyer, nor any
other cabinet oiiicer, has the power to
automatically dominate this par
ticular situation. He may, and likely
will, recommend to congress to enact
. law designating Qua tanamo as the
site for the proposed naval station.
1t will be up to congress to ally itself
with the anti-American forces and
place an American naval base 10
foreign land or stand upon It's pre-
rogative and demand that tue native
soil hold this Important feature OF
national defense and offense. The
object OF THE DEMoCRAT-STAR In
this particular instance IL to explain
as best 1T may, with the information
at hand, exactly wherein discrimina-
tion against American gull ports ap-
pears self-evident, and the policy OF
placing q base OF this character In
foreign lands becomes harmful and
weakens the naval defense OF the
nation and canal.
THE DEMOCRAT-STAR urgently re-
quests every congressman 10 Miss
issippi, along the gulf coast, in the
South and throughout the nation at
large to seriously give deep and
thoughtful consideration TO this SUBJ
ject and to stand tirm Ia determine
tion to insist upon adequate. protec-
tion to the national home rather than
force the necessity Of another foreign
conquest 10 order 10 acquire alien
territory that holds the naval base
Of the greatest nation In existence.
In this one feature Of the gulf coast
naval station IL TO be found such q
promised danger that patriotic con-
gressmen will lind 1t hard to defend
any position they may assume other
than such an one as may be expressed
10 the suggestion Of American soil
only for an American naval base. =
Elsewhere in this same general ar.
ticle may be found an item OF new.
sent ont By the Associated Press dur
iug the past week relative TO the
apparent determination Of Secretary J
Meyer to locate the naval base al
Guantanamo, Cuba. 10 this same
article appears the following sen
teoce: "The United State holds juris
diction over these tracts referring 4
two reserves Of twenty.ninc square
miles each, both located 10 Cuba) .,
far q residents are concerned, bul
the sovereignty remains with Cub,
and 10 business can be carried ol
through private enterprise" Tn
tracts referred to 10 this sentence ars
held BY the United States, thfougl
% agreement with Cuba, solely for
naval station. This 10 important b
always bear 10 mind when Guam
I .
J tansmols considered or discussed a
: site for the proposed and necessar
q Walton.
WARTIME DANGER.
Within the natural connoes Of th
United States are located the grea
steal plants that provide the srmo
plate for the battleships. From TIL
loame territory must come ever,
!. pouud OF foot Of the raw mstsrIs
that must flnd ~ way Into the cor
/. stsucsioa Of these battleships. Tn
same u true for necessary repaira
with : naval station, such - ID pre-
possd, jocatsd In foreign land
Y naturally follows that this raw mi
eaffol mat he trnnenOytod from n