The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-02-22

nexed the Islands, the Hawaiians
have been expecting that after lit.
tie while the government would turn
Oahu into the Gibraltar OF the Paci-
&C." They are anxious 10 have
Gibraltar OF the Pacific" In their
midst and why the people on the
mainland should be 50 slow In digging
up the money for one 10 thing they
can't understand.
"A little fertilization work has been
done In the immediate vicinity OF
Honolulu, TO be sure, but II doesn't
take much OF military or naval ex-
pert TO see that instead OF obligingly
undertaking landing on Oahu with
IN range OF the shore forts guns, an
enemy would probably choose the
other side OF the island, come up be-
hind the Notifications and make
things exceedingly unpleasant.
Pearl Harbor, which Is scheduled
10 be such tremendous naval base
some time In the not very definite
future, Is also still pretty thoroughly
unfinished. Its entrance has at last
been dug out until real battleships
can pass In and out through 1t, but
until the engineers have cleared
away a great rock ledge which was
accidentally overlooked when the dig
ging was done, IL isn't going 10 be
very comfortable haven for much OF
war feet.
Work has also been begun on the
drydock intended TO accommodate
the mightiest dreadnoughts which
may make the harbor headquarters
after IL Is finished, and the contract
has been let for one permanent build
Ing
That's as far as Pearl Harbor has
got up TO date.
The Hawaiians think an uninterrnpt-
ed chain of Notifications ought 10 be
built ali the way around Oahu. They
would like a garrison of at least To-
600 soidiers TO defend them. They In
sist that. the work on Pearl Harbor
onght to be rushed through at top
speed. Finally they urge that the
harbor be made headquarters for
powerful war feet which shouldn't be
allowed. to get far away from the
islands under any circumstances.
OF course the purpose OF all these
defenses and defenders Is TO guaru
against any possible attempt by the
Japanese to secure foothoid ON tne
islands. A Hawaiian will make halr-
raising predictions by the hour con,
corning the awful things thar VIII
happen along the Pacinc coas. II
Japan ever succeeds In ESTABLISHING
itself on the Hawaiian group.
Carefully refraining, however, from
any reference TO Notifications, ask
any well-informed Hawaiian whetne,
the islanders are afraid of Japan and
he won't be satisfied WIN mele
negative reply. He VIII simply shor'
in scorn at the bare suggestion.
The fact is that the hawaiians
want a Gibraltar OF the PACING Ior
the same reason that towns In the
states" like TO have military posts
in their vicinity, although their IN
habitants are not a particle alralu Vi
attacks by the Indians.
Ak r"Gibraltar OF the Pacific" wonla
he a source OF immense nnanclai
profit to the Hawaiian islanders ana
especially to the Eonolulans.
would advertise the Islands, IL Wouiu
create an aristocratic society,
would mean the opening Of good inca,
ters and swell restaurants, II wouiu
attract tourists--it would bring par
rels and barrels OF money 10 the
Hawaiian Islands and that money
would 70 into the islanders pockets
As for the Japanese, pooh! All We
argue IL that the group will furnish
= convenient naval outpost IN case the
Pacific coast is ever threatened" Is
the way Gov. Walter f. Frear ex.
presses II. but for ourselves were
not doing any worrying. The United
states naval commander here at the
time the old government was over
thrown BIZ the American residents re-
ported to Washington that he didn't
consider 1t practicable to take the
islands. So the Japanese peril isn't
causing US much anxiety"