the artificial advantages
of resources and military strength.

This brief statement makes the matter seem a little too simple;
and so it will have to be modified by adding that the mere fact
of a place having a fine position is not quite sufficient, because
the place must be of such a character that it is capable of having
resources and strength added to it; a sharp pinnacle rock in the
middle of the Mediterranean, for instance, might have a fine strategic
position, and yet be unavailable as a naval base. Even here, however,
we must pause to note that energy and will could do much toward
making even a pinnacle rock a naval base; for we see the gigantic
fortress of Heligoland erected on what was little but a shoal;
and we see the diminutive water areas of Malta and Gibraltar made
to hold in safety the war-ships of the greatest navy in the world.

Despite the paramount importance of strategic position, we must not
forget that a naval base should have sufficient military strength
to be able to hold out for a long time against hostile operations,
as many bases, notably Gibraltar and Port Arthur, have done, without
the assistance of the fleet. The German base at Kiao-chau held out
for more than two months in 1914, without any external aid. During
all the time of siege, even if surrender is ultimately to occur,
the enemy's forces are prevented from being utilized elsewhere.
This condition was clearly shown during the siege of Port Arthur,
because the large force of Japanese troops required to conduct
the siege were urgently needed in Manchuria--to which region they
were sent as soon as Port Arthur fell.

From this point of view, naval bases again look much like fortresses
on the land; fortresses like Metz and Strasburg, that had to be
subdued before an enemy could safely pass them.

_Strategic Position of Distant Bases_.--Since the strategic position
of an outlying naval base is the principal factor that goes to
make its value, it may be well to consider what elements make a
strategic position good.

To make the problem clear, let us take a concrete case, that of
our own country, and consider what elements would constitute a good
strategic position for a naval base of the United States, leaving
out of consideration for the moment any questions of resources and
military strength.

In the case of a war with a nation that had only one naval home
base, it is clear that the best position for our distant base would
be one