Why is Samoa necessary to America?

Answer 1

Samoa offered a strategical point of operations for the US navy in the first half of the 2oth century. By politically annexing eastern Samoa as a US territory (now called American Samoa) it has allowed the US to operate it's most southern base south of the equator in the pacific. A coaling station was initially built here to allow their coal fired warships of the time to increase its operational range in the South Pacific! With the advent of nuclear power & bunker oil the coal station is redundant. Tutuila's harbour is a natural deep water port capable of holding US 120K + ton super carriers. Samoa's location is on the tip of the Tonga trench and this may be an advantage to slip boomers n hunter killer subs into the South Pacific

American Samoa also allows the US tuna fleets to operate in their 200 mile fishing zone providing a commercial benefit?

The Samoa islands (Western) are now seeing increased political influence from the likes of China in foreign aid which may lead to an agreement for the use of it's ports to their navy leaving American Samoa and Hawaii at risk?

This may become a potential powder keg with USA in the east and PRC in the west of the island group? Sounds pretty far fetched but this same scenario played out in the first quarter of the 20th century in Apia harbour between the German, US and British navies, fortunately nature intervened in the form of a hurricane where loss of ships and life on all three navies!