Page 322 - The interest of America in sea power, present and future

300 Strategic Features of the Gulf of

oration here ; but the reasons for choosing
those that have been named have been given
as briefly as possible. Let us now look at the
map, and regard as a collective whole the pic-
ture there graphically presented.
Putting to one side, for the moment at least,
the Isthmian points, as indicating the end
rather than the precedent means, we see at
the present time that the positions at the ex-
tremes of the field under examination are held
by Powers of the first rank, — Martinique and
Santa Lucia by France and Great Britain,
Pensacola and the Mississippi by the United
States.
Further, there are held by these same states
of the first order two advanced positions,
widely separated from the first bases of their
power ; namely, Key West, which is 460 miles
from Pensacola, and Jamaica, which is 930
miles from Santa Lucia. From the Isthmus,
Key West is distant 1200 miles; Jamaica, 500
miles.
Between and separating these two groups, of
primary bases and advanced posts, extends the
chain of positions from Yucatan to St. Thomas.

As far as is possible to position, apart from