Show POSSESS THi ISLANDS Our dispatches yesterday contained tho information a party of English Royal Engineer had Mortal for the facile coast of British Columbia for the purpose pur-pose of Inspecting the coast with a view of locating coast defenses naval stations I and such other means tam will render that I coast impregnable Senator I Mitchells i I i bill for n now naval i fetation north of Fan I riancfcco is intended for a ximilar pur I poso on out own Iacilic 10 int and it will bo a lesson to our national legislators to see how sure and ceitaht is the work of tho British tsar olllce compared with tho dallying policy of our own Tim Ilritish Government recognize the necccsilj of placing their coast line on lie Paciliu in a jHjsltion of defense in older to knit the chain of defenses which I they have worked around tile world and he only missing link of which is I the Hawaiian group Islands Tlionorthcin must coast point of tint United States on the lwifle 18 Cape Flattery at the entrance en-trance to the straits leading to Iuget Hound and the coist t timers is i so bold and subject to euch heavy btorms that no foi tlllcations could bo of advantage but nt the entrance to tho sound proper an excellent ex-cellent position can bu found for works that could defend tho inexhaustible lumber lum-ber region of the Northwest and the great volume of trade that springs from there Without doubt tho Ilritish authorities will fortify tho adjacent points in their territory and render attack by that channel hazardous and al tie same time ulTording a secure haven for their own flag With alma Islanls in their grasp und tho coast l of British Columbia thoroughly I defended they could mako descent on tho coasts of California and Oregon with Impunity and being driven off retire to the Islands to refit limo possible complications that may yet arise on the t lsllm 2 m and of f Panama muko it all the more pieesin that the Unilid States Government should have thin Hands 1 us a ptrnlcgic taint while tho growing industries there strengthen thin reason The succession of the Prince of Wales to the British throne will nndoubt wily give rise to serious international troubles throughout the world and inch in-ch an emergency It behooves thin Gov crnment to ho thoroughly able to meet nU attempts of foreign governments to menace our coasts t and this cannot be Cs thottt time Islands as a naval rendez vows It is to bo hoped that Senator tchell and thoso who represent tho aclfic Coast In Congress will agitate this subject nor leave It till other powers hale BO hedged the Islands with commercial Intercsts that their acquisition will bo costly If not Impossible Tho personal greed of a few phonic not bo allowed to weigh against n great national necessity |