Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-09-18

TIME United States, having set a
world peace in unselfishly de-
- veloping the more important of
her insular possessions, is just now
being placed in the position of having
entirely neglected the smaller ones.
Guam and Samoa, far-fung little
islands of the vast Pacific 5000 miles
from San Francisco and 5000 miles
apart, have been under the American
flag for a decade and a half, yet have
received no further attention than that
provided by the makeshift arrange
ment of martial law. They are still
without any provision for colonial
government, without any of the
thought for their development such
as has been lavished on more am
bilious possessions like the Philippines
and Porto Rico.
The United States has played in the
most extraordinary good luck in tho
acquisition of the three best harbors
and naval bases in all the Pacific
Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Pago Pago In
Samoa, and Apra harbor in Gum, are
almost the only havens in all the vast
eXpanse of ocean between the United
States and Australia and Japan. They
all belong to the United States.
Guam was acquired under comic
opera conditions. The American
cruiser Charleston put into that har-
Dor during the Spanish American war
rather uniformed as to the situation
at home. She fired a salute to the
Spanish flag which floated over the
forts ashore. Thereupon the Spanish
commander, thinking himself attack.
ed, came out under flag or truce ano
surrendered the island to the astonish'
ed Americans.
Samoa was also acquired with little
less intent. The American flag hac
once been run up there by one o.
Uncle Sans consuls, but this govern
ment had failed to sustain him IL
States had asked for a coaling station
there had drifted into a share of the
protectorate that came to be exercised
| by Germany, Great Britain and thi:
country, and third of the islands ha6
eventually been thrust upon her.
Army of Military Nations
| Germany had secured the populou:
portion. Because there happened tC
! be in the islands at the time an Am
erican army officer, Colonel Willard
French, who appreciated strategic
possibilities, the American official re
sponsible was induced to select tina
part of the island which contained the
| Pago Pago harbor. 1t has since de-
veloped that this harbor is a posses
sion that is the envy of all military
nations, for it is the most magnificen
site for a naval base in all that par
of the world.
But the United States, coming intC
possession of these two islands in tht
| far Pacific at the time of the Spanish
American War; merely declared then
naval bases and placed them under
the Navy Department. 1t sent nava
officers to each place as governors
The Navy Department took charge o
these islands as the War Department
did of the Philippines and Porto Rico
1t was considered a temporary ar
rangement holding only until Congress
had an opportunity to provide colonia
| governme But that temporary gov
ernment is still in force. Congress ha
taken no action as to these islands.
/ When a steamer approaches Pag'
Pago rugged, verdure-clad mountain
are seen rising ahead of 1t. Drawini
nearer it is found that there ar
water channels between these peak
and that they are in reality a screel
of the prettiest little islands in tn
world. For five miles the steame
threads its way between them. Thei
there appears a narrow channel witt
high cliffs on either side and acros
which one might almost throw a stone