Honolulu star-bulletin., 1917-03-17

southwestern extremity of Alaska
stretches the long trail of the Aleutian
Islands, the southern boundary of
Bering Sea. These islands overlap
the Alaskan coast to some extent,
their dangerous rocks guarding it like
IA fog enshrouded barrier. Now, in
islands there is an ice-free port,
ButcM HarbUf. which from its loca.
tion and its great natural strength
seems to have been designed as Alas
ka,s challenging outpost sub-Arctics
Gibraltar, from which a watching
fleet, could guard with ease the main
channels OF approach to that territory.
And, further, this harbor, If de-
yelOped would be most effective
auxiliary to our chain of bases, stretch
ing like the piers of colossal bridge
from Panama through Hawaii to
Guam. The reason is that Dutch Har-l
bor. HonolHlu and. San francisco are
the vertices Of an equilateral triangle,
each of whose sides Is 2000 miles long
(which is about the radius of action
of fleet In war. This means that If
either OF the three were threatened
supporting forces from the other two
could reach it simultaneously and
make a united attack. And, finally,
with Dutch Harbor fortified and an
adequate naval force there and at
Honolulu, the Hawaii Unalaska line
would form an ocean wall, 1000 miles
long, through which the enemy,
Thanked on both sides, would have to
break before he could approach our
coast
Supplies Of Nitrogen. Menaced
There is still another consideration
which makes our strategic control of
the North Pacific most important in
| war. 1t has been reported that Ger
man crops in the last harvest were
reduced by 35 per cent, owing to the
tremendous demand for nitrates for
use in explosives.
The same conditions would exist
| in this country in sudden war at this
time. It is true that the navy depart
ment has taken steps to secure a very
| moderate reserve supply Of Chilian
nitrates and that the construction un-
| der government support of a plant for
/ the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen is
/ contemplated. Any such plant under
government auspices is likely to be
somewhat lingering in construction.
/ Appropriations should be made for a
much larger supply of reserve nitrates
! for the War and Navy Departments,
and in any event, the control of the
North Pacific in. war, to prevent cut
! ting our communication with Chill, is
of grave Importance. With that con.
/ troll assured and with the Panama
Canal still in our hands, any other at
| tack on these communications would
have to come-as Capt. Mexican shows
through the Straits of Magellan or
j from Cape Town via Australia and
would be so long in arriving that pro-
| vision to meet it could be made.
Now, consider for moment the in
dications which point to the shuffling
of the cards for the great game of
empire on the Pacific. These mdica-
tions are, of course, vague and gem
eraI. but for such a prize as the mas
terry of the ocean the players would
hardly lay their cards face up on the
table.
I'm the first place, before the Euro
pean war, Germany had colonial pos
sessions in eight separate groups of
islands in the South Seas. When war
| broke ont Great Britain took all of
these below the equator, ,leaving-as
| the chart shows--the Caroline and
! Marshall groups, north of it, to her
ally, Japan. RI. =. ~ .>
Nov, was this division of the spoils
kf,,,ys