HONOLULU.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 181, 30 July 1912, Page 7

HONOLULU.

the Gl_.______T.__R of the pacific. To most people the mention of'the name < Honolulu brings only thoughts of an enchantingly lovely gToup of islands set in 1 the tropic regions of the Pacific. These < islands, which are constantly bathed in ; bright warm sunshine, tempered by i breezes, produce all manner of fruit - and flowers, with prodigal extravagance. ; The great natural wonders from tbe surge of the burning sea in Jvilawais active crater to the barking sands and stately pali of Oahu are quite arresting , in their uniqueness and magnitude. i The gorgeous colouring of mountain ' and sky, water and land, the picturesque dresses of many alien and native races, , the delightful modern homes set in gar- i Jens ni surpassing beauty, the great hotels costing over one million dollars, and complete with every comfort of ] modern civilisation, ithe shops which ' would credit a New York street, all , combine in justifying the claim of Hawaii to its proud boast, ''The Garden of the ' Pacific." ' Its scenery- is not, however, its only . claim to notice. Its trade and commerce < during the past two decades have de- • veloped with phenomenal rapidity. The * exports for 1911 reached a total of £10,000.000 sterling, of which appro-i- 1 -lately £0.000,000 came from the sugar t plantations. 1 The chief interest of Honolulu to the f Australian or New Zealander does riot j ce.itre in these natural features, en- f trancing as they undoubtedly are. llono- , lulu and the island of Oahu on which . it is built, has 'become the strategic point J of the United States power in the Pacific Ocean. Here is being focusscd the weight of Uncle Sam's naval and military strength. A few miles south of the city there is a fine land-locked bay. guarded _y a| coral reef, called Pearl Harbour, on j which the Government has commenced; to spend millions in the construction of what it -boasts will be the best equipped 1 naval base in the world. Dredging operations for the erection, of a monster dry dock, naval yards, and I piers have already started. On this I mountain-circled sheet of water a whole] fleet could safely ride at anchor, and:] as a coaling station it will be of untold - < value. It is not only to be a naval j. rendezvous, but is a large military post. L with thousands of soldiers and forts i e made well nigh impregnable by the latest, a science of military engineering, buxls miles to the north, "and immediately on i the further side of the famous Walkiki t beach, there looms up the gigantic jagged I outline of Diamond Head, whose pre- ( cipitous sides rise close upon 1000 ft ; from the water's edge. This vast extinct j crater seems naturally to be the sellconstituted guardian of the bay. Mill- r tary skill and genius has taken advan- f tage of the natural fortification, an.: t made it a fortress which bristles with great guns complete with every device |. for accurate shooting and long-distance j 1 destruction. Looked at with field glasses , I from the bay there is very little to be.c seen but the frowning rocks of the moun- % tain, btrt imbedded in its high sides and i crater and behind the hill are weapons i of such range that tbe entire harnour t could be swept for twenty miles, even to the far distant, point on the southern t extremity of the island. Perhaps in the , future when the Pacific echoes to the 1 roar and thunder of battle, Dmi_ond Head will make history as the Gibraltar and .Malta of the Western Seas The undertakings at present m band will take 12 Tears (it is estimated) to comoleteta-d-w-hen finished, Honolulu will be a naval and mditavy base of world-wide renown, and immense power. 1 In order to appreciate fully its strategic value on the Pacific highways, one ; must recognise its pivotal position, and its relationship to various countries, in | ! view of the opening of the Panama Canal. Honolulu is dista- i from | Auckland 3850 miles, Wellington 410.1, j Panama 4605. San Francisco 2100, A alparaiso 5915, Vancouver 2372, Yokohama 344.-,, Hong Kong 4961, and Sydney 44.4. It occupies the central and crossing place in the. Pacific. The construction of the Panama Canal will reduce the sea journey to New York by no less than "one-half, from 13,200 around the Straits of Magellan to 67.0 via the Isthmus. Honolulu cannot but play a vitally important part in any war in which the United States takes part, and should the struggle be with an Eastern Power, then Honolulu will be the key position, and its capture wonld almost entirely determine the result. The fortification of Honolulu is not without significance to Australia and New Zealand. Tlie Commonwealth and Dominion have recently adopted compulsory military training for their youth in order that their own -homes can be defended from a possible enemy. Australia is building a navy with the same end in view. Both countries have decided to preserve their territories to the while race. Tin- arming of the southern lands and the fortress and naval ba_e at Diamond Head and Pearl Harbour have become realities, because a fear exists that there may be danger coming from the East where the Oriental nations are now rising with startling suddenness to the rank of first-class powers. The interests of Australia, New Zealand, and tbe I'nited States in the Pacific are identical. The defeat of the United Mates would have a paralysing effect upon Australia and New Zealand, and the capture of the Commonwealth by China would create a complex problem for America. President Taft, in his history-making memoranda to Sir Kdward Grey, the British Foreign Minister, on the subject of .on unlimited arbitration treaty between Ihe two nations, urged the sanity and wisdom of settling disputes by arbitration. Tndivid-ual honour is now satisfied without resorting to swords and revolvers, and why not national honour in the same way. It is ardently hoped that before many years have passed away, the war Jrum will be laid aside, and the battle flag furled, and an era of peace and international trust ushered in, which will be permanent and lasting. ' For the present, the equipment of Honolulu, as the strategic point of naval ' and military power, for the most power- ' fnl white race bordering the Pacific is a ' fact of profound importance to Australia ' and New Zealand. • rVOTE Since the above article was ' written it was reported in tie United ' utiles Congress at Washington that ' there were 35.000 retired Japanese i soldiers in Hawaii ready at any momen*- ■ to assist in winning tli.it. territory fo. ' the* country should the opportunity ' arWe The United States War Department have decided to increase their I _arrison at Honolulu by the immediate ! despatch of five regiments of infantry, ' leach of twelve companies, one regiment .! of caralrv, one regiment of field artil- . ''■ Icrv eight companies of coast artillery, , I one company engineers, and one of signal i corps.]