Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-09-02
AMERICAN AND GERMAN COLONIES
MAY CLASH IN THE PACIFIC

to allow a week or even ten days for
operation in American waters.
Such attacks could be repeated in
definitely from this base until the in
vadlng fleet has been destroyed A
naval base is in process of completion
at the Pearl Harbor lochs, near Hon
olulu. The commercial harbor at the
latter place is nothing more than a
roadstead protected by coral reef.
1t serves well enough for the needs
of vessels OF trade, but it is quite UNI
satisfactory in naval requirements.
The town is protected by batteries
established in such natural fortresses
as Punchbowl, towering above the
residences, and Leahi, or Diamond
Head, at the end of Waikiki Beach.
The artillery of coast defence type
is considered sufficient to Withstand
such an attack as in the modern the
DRY of war would be delivered from
sea
Pearl Harbor has every advantage
that a great naval harbor could re-
quire; ii has one disadvantage. When
I the harbor has once been entered.
there is ample room for a fleet, 1t
has every facility which might be
needed for the creation of a dock
yard and repair station The OBJ
stacle to its use has been the exist
ence of a coral barrier across the
entrance. which has blocked the pass.
age Of vessels of any but the shall
lowest draught, although there is
deep water within the lochs. Con
struction at this important point has
: been in progress ever since the an
nexation; just what is the presen
condition at the reef, whether it ha
: been blasted out to admit the entr.
of vessels of the first type, is know
) only to the general board of the navy
I The building of the repair shops ha
not been prosecuted with yigor, bu
{ after a dozen years of work 1t ma
/, reasonably be expected that the rec
: has been disposed of Hawaii ha
Y value for something more than il
S service as an outpost to cover tn
: Pacific coast of the mainland. Su
/. ported from the navy yards at MAJ
e Island and Bremerton, it is the Sc
s ondary base from which the Amer
4, can fleet will address itself to wha
o ever task may await it in the Pacifi
e Guam and Midway, though comir
IT into American ownership through d
ferent means, have the same sort
,r importance The former certainl
le the latter probably, must be held
il. order to insure the safety and ey
"a the action of the Pacific cable. M
is way, a low group of sandy islets,
of indefensible. It's harbor is no me
h, than cove accessible only
he schooners OF the lightest nayigal
GA draught. Its value lies in the Il
of that it affords speek OF land
er which to equip in utter lonelint
To- relay station where messages N
Ter be REINFORCED over the long stret
DIS. of ocean between Honolulu and Qua
,st There is reason to believe that N
,se way might be sacrificed without st
on ping the use of the cable.
he 1t is essential to submarine c.
an munication. Honolulu could
var reach Luzon without at least one
ion lay, and it is not known that MidN
has the power to communicate v
ua- Manila If Guam were cut out.
emit The relation to these American
YES posts of the German possessions
PSI. the Pacific is somewhat nitric
not They are the Marshall islands,
but Carolines, the Ladrones, the
rhe Guinea colony, including the
IRE. marck archipelago, and Buka
ion Bougainville, the most northerly
his the Solomon islands, and in the 81
and German Samoa. New Guinea
Iote Samoa alone possess economic va
are not enough to attract avarice.
var, should Japan and Germany
had compose their difficulties, all I
auy islands would lie open to attack
Is possible seizure by Japan.
are would establish an alienation
'heS American and Japanese intel
VIII athwart the Pacific. Counting '
lsoh ward from Hawaii, the first W
would be Japanese Marshalls
tues tween American Hawaii and Al
rom can Guam. At Guam would be
IN anese Ladrones across a narrow
the mel. Between American Guam
ana American Philippines would be
gton jected another wedge in Japi
at Carolines.
lient