The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
Island Won From Spain in 1898 and Intended for
Coaing Station to Be Fortified Against Any
Possible Assault. Marines From Philip
pines to Assemble There

for her fight with the unlucky Spanish
galleon almost a; her journeys end
and laden with treasure
As to-day. the port San Luis dApra
was the harbor Of entry for Agana, the
capital of Guam. Coral reefs. like "A
sheltering crescent. Termed break
water which held at bay the pounding
waters Of the Pacific when angriest,
leaving within beautiful haven Ave
miles long from two and half to three
miles wide, with its Goodly depths over
lying "A bottom admirably adapted for
the anchoring Of the biggest ships. In
order to make the place even more Sc
cure the industrious polyps had built
their lodges so that only a compare =
lively narrow and deep passageway led
To and from the sea. To guard this sin
gle channel the Spaniards built couple
of forts, and in Ansons day these would
have sutticed to hold him at bay had he
sought To force an entrance. Under
cover of these guns the Manila ships on
their yearly voyages could have lain
secure against the heaviest weapons
thar the British commodore could have
brought 10 bear.
But, alas for the glory Of Spain. the
drawn ere our cruiser, the l.. s. =
Charleston, sailed into the harbor
stripped for action, on June 90 1898
and hammered away at Fort Santa Cruz
for "A few minutes only 20 discover that
its Crumbllng walls were its sole means
of defence. We took possession of the
island In the name OF the United States
and rudcly upset the sleepy administra
90 ,n ,t.-h a l. Ia
tnsclled staff and compelled the sur
render OF his fighting force. consisting
of a handful of natives CARRIED in the
uniform of soldiers.
We took the island with the thought
of turning 1t into a coaling station for
our. ships bound to and from the United
States to the Philippines. few years
later Guam logically became hating
place for the transpacifc cables, and
now that 1t will lie right In the trade
route Of our modern ships of commerce
speeding to and from the Far East via
the Panama Canal this lonely island
will have renewed significance TO us
To protect our future merchant craft
and to give us a strategic point Of van
tage in the vast Pacific. Guam becomes
again what II was in the distant days
ol SPAIN StCTtlt SelnSll lTdnlnE between
the Philippines and the Kingdoms OF
Mexico and Peru plus "A modern pur-
pose quite undreamed of in the centu-
rles gone.
We are going to fortify Guam SO that
IL will be able To resist any assault that
foes squadrons may make. At the
same time the island will be turned into
an advance naval base of supply anG
the harbor or San Luis d'Apra will be
come a haven where whole fleets ~ oui
biggest dreadnouGhts can lie at anchor
awaiting the call 10 distant duty. Thl'
call will either come by way of wireless
or will trace it's path over the contour,
Of the racific's depths and bring IL
message through the sunkcn cables ir
the form Of mirror flashes or the 2igzal
dots and dashes upon the recorded tape
or, on the other hand, ready transports
will he FASTENED to the shores Of China
with battalons Of marines prepared fol
! any emergency.
Indeed, Agana will see such an arraN
/ of fighting men as II has never dreamed
of since the earliest dayF OF Spanish
/ dominance. We are To assemble there al
! of tho marines We now have in tn,
! Philippines, and upon these soldiers o
the sea will fall the burden of defend