Evening star., 1935-03-28
BY JUNIUS B. WOOD.

time.J
BY JUNIUS B. WOOD.
SAN FRANCISCO. March ~ (N.A.
N.A)-Fears that a strike might par
alyge Pacific Coast shipping stimu-
lated loading Of the North Haven,
argosy ship of the Pan-American
Airways, into frantic activity. Extra
gangs of stevedores were put on the
job, and by O'Clock last eve
ming, the last of the cargo which had
filled the big pier warehouse almost to
its roof, ranging from toothpicks to
tractors, Diesel engines, motor
launches and long creosoted poles,
had been slowed in the holds or Sc
curely lashed on deck. The ship
awaited only the signal today to
cast off its lines and clear.
The freighter will carry 5000 tons
of cargo, A AVIATION technicians and
IA construction men, who are to locate
air bases and colonize lonely Pacific
islands for the long hops. which. for
the first time. will permanently link
North America and Asia by air.
Trip Cut to Three Days.
1t is expected that the giant clipper
planes will be flying this Summer,
though they will not carry passengers
until the course has been thoroughly
tested. When that time comes-and
even earlier for mail and express
Manila and South China, which now
are three weeks from the United
States, and, in the days of New Eng
lands proud clipper ships. were as
many months. will be only three days
away. Any delay for the plodding
freighter which is to lay the ground
work for all this might set the first
flights back for months.
Other obstacles must be overcome.
some for technicians and engineers to
solve, and others, more ponderous, for
statesmen to discuss. The little islands
across the Pacific, itself vaSter than
the entire inhabited area of the globe,
will be Americas listening posts to
Asia. Clipper planes will travel back
and forth on this new air highway.
carrying precious cargoes, observant
passengers and cameras-and sim
gle camera can rouse the patriotic
fervor of a japanese policeman or
militariSt.
Already protests. though not diplo-
matically official, but by officials, have
been widely voiced in japanese news
papers against the new Pacific COM
mercial air service. Those who pro-
test see the shadow of the American
Army and Navy in the background,
and insist that the undertaking is an
invasion of Japan's domain in the
Pacific and the preliminary for a
line of aerial defense and aggression
in the Orient.
S,500-MiIe Course.
The entire course, to connect up
with Sino- American aviation lines al
ready existing in China, will be more
than $500 miles long Its first base
Will be in the Hawaiian Islands, some
2,4O0 miles from San Francisco. Then
come Midway Islands. 1880 miles;
Wake Islands, 1922 miles; Guam.
some 1,40O Manila. 1900. and the
China coast, between 600 and TOO.
All. except the last, are possessions Of
the United States, some so small that
few persons know of their existence.
Like the thrifty citizen who picks up
pins which some time may be useful,
.he American Navy. in years that are
past, took possession, and now a use
has been found for them.
Hawaii is firmly anchored to the
United States. The Midway group,
lying on the international dateline,
where the days change, already is oc-
cupied by men who operate the relay
station of the American Commercial
Pacific Cable Co. The American Air
ways will colonize another island in
the group.
The Wake group of three islands
and Guam were first seized for the
United States by the cruiser Charles
ton during the Spanish American War
in 1898. The land area of the Wake
group is less than square miles,
though they surround a lagoon, Ia
miles long, which is ideal for sea-
planes.
266-Acre Island.
Wake Islanu was surveyed by Lieut..
Comdr. Samuel w. Kind. commanding
the Whipperwill, and now Hawaiian
Delegate in Congress, in 1924, and,
about the same time, an expedition
from the Field Museum of Natural
History was there. Prof. Wetmore
christened the other two islands
Wilkes and Peale. The airplane COL
ony and equipment will be on Wilkes
Island, 266 acres in size.
The museum expedition found
wreckage and a stone fireplace, sup
posedly from German ship, Labelle,
which went ashore in 1866. More i'm
portant, it found two tin-roofed jap
anese houses, tank and storehouse
OF japanese settlers on Peale Island.
No fresh water is on the island, and
they are supposed to have left in 1908,
but Toxic may advance a claim to the
islands on the ground of previous
colonization. A flag pole erected by
the Army transport Thomas and an
other japanese house were found on
Wilkes.
Guam is held by the United States.
under jurisdiction of the Navy. Its
inhabitants are Chamorras, with the
exception of less than 100 naval officers
and men.
In Mandated Area.
The United States governs, educates
and cares for them. but the island lies
among the japanese South Seas man
dated islands from the League of Ma