Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-03
ANTILLES FORTS
MAY Be D|SARMED
Macdonald May Offer This
Proposal as ''FriendIy
Gesture" to U. S.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Among the surprises" in store for
the Macdonald visit to Washington
this week-at which Secretary Stimson
vaguely limited recently-may be
British proposal to demilitarize the
empires possessions in the Caribbean
Sea and South America. Wide senti-
ment exists in Great Britain In favor
CT such action. 1t is held to be al
most the friendliest gesture" the en-
pire can make in the United States
direction at this time. Bermuda, the
West Indies and British Guiana (the
latter on the northwestern tip of South
America) are all under the Union Jack.
They command" the Atlantic ap-
proaches to the Panama Canal, would
be all-important British naval bases in
case OF emergency, and, to that extent,
constitute possible peril to the United
States strategic scheme in the Carih-
bean and in South Atlantic waters.
Cites Canadian Border.
British statesmen who advocate de-
militarizing these territories near the
1SthmuS of Panama base their argu-
ment in favor thereof on the fact that
the much more important British
American "frontier"-the border be-
tween Canada and the United States
has remained unfortifled for over a
possessions in the Caribbean and in
south America the principle Of the
RuSh-Bagot treaty, which decreed that
no guns or forts should ever be built
by either the Dominion of Canada or
the Republic of the United States.
Under the same pact it was stipulated
that the Great Lakes-the water
Border" -should be unpatrolled hv
ships Of war
1nere Is no more reason, British all-
thorities contend. for Great Britain and
america TO- arm against each other In
the South Atlantic than across 5000
miles OF land on the North American
continent. The possessions in question
consist Of the Island of Bermuda-so
well known to thirsty American tourists
In Winter time: the West Indies, con-
sist1ng Of the Bahamas, Barbados, ia
maica, Cayman Islands, Turks and
Calcos Islands, Leeward Islands, Trini-
dad and Windward Islands, and British
Guiana. While garrisons of British
troops, OF varying size, are maintained
at all these places, and while several
of them are the areas in which inn
pc ant naval stations and fuel bases
for the British fleet are situated, Amer
lean naval and military authorities have
never attributed grave importance to
them. In war with the United States,
these British outposts would probably
fall into American hands with rela-
tive ease. Just as sooner or later the
Stars and Stripes might be expected to
supplant the Union Jack in Canada
Both Canada and British soil in the
South Atlantic are frequently referred
to as hostages" which the United
States holds as guarantee against
attack by Great Britain.
To Sound Out United States.
For all tbeca reocope ond for N.
greater one that British statesmen think
such move would crafty this coun-
try, Prime Minister Macdonald is ex-
pected at least to sound out the United
States Government as to its views IN
the subject. No argument is readily
conceived against the acceptability of
such a British proposal. 1t is sug-
might naturally expect some kind of
quid pro quo. In the discussion of the
idea. which has thus far taken place
In Great Britain, nothing concrete in
this direction has been put forth. That
would not prevent the United States
from responding with a gesture" of its
own. This writer recently indicated the
change in responsible American opinion
about the freedom of the seas" 1t
might come to pass that the United
States would reply to the Caribbean de-
militarization offer with a pronounce
ment that America no longer adheres
to its ancient attitude concerning neu-
trail rights at sea in war time. Such a
pronouncement would bring the United
States into line with the attitude Great
Britain has persistently occupied. The
difference of opinion about freedom of
the seas" in the early years Of the
World War nearly brought the United
States into conflict with the allies.
Many distinguished American inter-
national authorities are now going on
record in favor of new definition of
what the United States will do in the
next war. especially If that war is due
to the aggression of a power which vio-
lates the Kellogg pact. There is hardly
any doubt that the role the American
and British Navies are to play in the
future, with the war-renunciation pact
the new law Of the world, will be a ma
jor feature Of the Hoover Macdonald
conversations in Washington. In the
October number of Foreign Affairs,
Charles p. Rowland of the New York
bar points out that mere limitation
Of navies will not suffice. He thinks
Uncle Sam and John Bull must 20
farther than fleet agreements and bind
themselves to act together, not only in
maintaining friendly relations with