The Coolidge examiner., 1931-08-07

ii y II lultlt-lS VI 6ONNl
tai economy the lonely island of
Guam. one of the smallest of
American possessions, will be taken
from the list of American naval
bases and turned over to another
government department, possibly
the Department of Interior, which
has already suggested that Guam
would make an attractive national
park.
Guam'S military Importance has
siways been theoretical, but as part
of a chain of mid-Pacific American
stepping stones, leading from Cali
fOrnia through the Hawaiian islands
to the Philippines, Guam has also
provided a handy landing place and
relay station for cable lines across
the Pacific. and a base for repairs
and supplies for American vessels
plying midway lanes. More than
LOO miles of open water separate
it from the Philippines while the
ocean jump to Midway, nearest of
the Hawaiian islands. is even great
er-sOme LOO miles.
Guam'S strategic value is out of
all proportion to its size and pOpu-
a latiOn.
In area il is about three and a
half times as large as Nantucket.
having a length of less than 30 miles
and an average width of about six
miles. only 1S.620 people. more
than nine-tenths of whom are ma
tive GuameSe. people similar TO
the Filipinos, inhabit this coral
reefed oasis. The population, how
ever, is growing. 1t jumped 40 per
cent in the last decade.
The island of Guam was discOv-
cred on March 6. 1881. by Magellan,
after a passage of three months
and twenty days from the strait
which bears his name. An account
OF the privations and suffering of
his crew. many of whom died on
the way across the hitherto unex-
plored ocean. is graphically given
10y Antonio Pigafetta. Magellan's
historian. He describes how the
expedition arrived at Guam with
the crews suffering from scurvy and
in starving condition, having been
compelled on the passage to eat
rats anG even the leather from off
the standing rigging to keep soul
and tody together. In comparison
with Magellan's feat of crossing the
vast Pacific, the first voyage of Co
iumhuS from the Canary islands to
the West Indies seems Insignificant
Raided by Magellan.
The natives of Guam came to
meet the Spaniards in strange Fly
ing praes (canoeS provided with
0utriSgers and triangular sails Of
matS). The Spaniards had dropped
anchor, furled their sails, and were
about 10 land. when il was discov-
cred that a small boat which rode
aStern of the flagship was missing
SuSpecting the natives of having
stolen it, Magellan himself went
ashore at the head of a landing
party of 40 armed men, burned 40
or 30 houses and many boats, and
killed seven or eight natives, male
and female He then returned to
his ship with the missing boat and
Immediately set sail, continuing his
NNNtSt 10 Nle WESTWARD.
The natives did not fare much
better at the hands of later visi-
tors. Missionaries came in 1868.
Though Guam lies within the
tropics, its climate is tempered
throughout the greater part of the
year by brisk trade wind blow
ing from the northeast and east. Its
Fnnnrnfnfnc hiorI, 20
cause marked differences in the
distribution of rain on the island.
and the island is not of sufficient
extent to cause the daily aternat-
ingSCurrents of air known as land
and SeS freezes. Generally speak
ing. the seasons conform in a
measure with those of Manila, the
least rain falling in the colder
months or the periods called win
ter by the natives, and the greater
ainfall occurring in the warm
months, which are called summer
by the natives.
The forest vegetation of Guam
consists almost entirely of strand
trees, epiphytal ferns, lianas, and
a few understands. The ma iority
of the species are included in what
Schimper has called the Barring
& ia formation. The principal
trees are the wild fertile bread
fruit; the Indian almond: jack-in-
the-bOX- and the giant banyan.
How They Catch Fish.
The fruit of another common
tree (Barringtonia speciosa) the ma
tiveS use to stupefy fish. The fruit
Is pounded into paste. inclOsed in
bag. and kept over night. The
time of an especially low tide is
selected, and bags of the pounded
fruit are taken out on the reef next
morning and sunk in certain deep
holes in the reef. The fish soon
appear AT the surface, some of
them lifeless, others attempting to
swim, or family struggling with
their yentral side uppermost.
Nothing more striking could be
ina gined than the picture present
cd by the cOnglOmeration of strange
shapes and bright colorS-snakelik
sea eelS. vOraciOus liZard-fishes.
garlike hOundfiShes, with their laws
prolonged into a sharp beak: long
shouted trumpet fishes. founders.
norcupine fish, bristling with
spines; squirrel fishes of the bright
est and most beautiful colOrs-scar-
let. rose color and silver, and vel
l. q