The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-11-14

were making the trip in a subway
tube. When we are ready TO go to
bed-and we will be before we reach
Hawaii-our seats are converted into
berths as comfortable as those in a
transcontinental railroad train. This
is literally sleeping on clouds"
We're not going TO miss much by
sleeping, for there is nothing TO see
at this stage of the journey but water.
Besides, there is so much ahead of
US. Our trip, this time, has a double
purpose: To experience the thrill Of
crossing the Pacific in less time than
1t took to cross the American CONT
nent a few years agO-and to visit
what is one of the most unusual spots
of the United States and its posses
sions. 1t is the island of Guam, one
of Americas farthest OutpOsts, and
land whose population is in a fix" as
we shall see presently.
Our arrival ar Hawaii is spectacular
in its very uneventfulness. There is
a short StOpOver so we can stretch our
Iegs-pOssibly Timber up in the surf
at the glorious beach of Waikiki. and
then we are off again. over the pine
apple fields and the sugar cane, with
Pearl harbOr disappearing beyond our
stern horizon as California did yes
terday.
Midway island, ten hours away, is
our next stop, but this time the hop
is not so lonely. We soon approach
the island OF Kauai, whose 500 inches
Of rainfall make it the wettest spot
in the world; we skirt its 4,OOO-fOOt
green mountain range. topped by the
peak of Waialeale There are more is
lands nOw-Napali, with it's cliffs ris-
ing from the sea 1900 feet like great
white walls: Niihau. a plateau with
volcanic craters at either end; Kaula,
which looks like a loaf of bread a lit
tie Overdone to a dark brown; Nihoa,
with the grass-grOwn remains of what
were once garden terraces and home
sites for wandering Polynesian adven-
turers who came here to fish and hunt.
An Island Mystery.
There are more islands. some of
them, like Necker, being merely the
tips of volcanoes poking their mouths
up out of the sea. On Necker are
many peculiar rows of terraces, with
upright stones bordering their edges
in orderly mystery. Who left them
here and why? Nobody knows. Mys-
teries like this are not unusual to the
South seas; there are the grotesque
and inexplicable statues of Easter is
land, for instance.
More Of these volcanic islands. with
their bases $4,000 feet down under
the sea. pass below u.s. There is Lay
san island, fat and barren. white and
empty where former forests and vege-
tation have given way to the onslaught
of guano diggers. poachers and rab-
bits. We pass Pearl and Hermes reef
and soon swOop down upon Midway
island.
1t is only a short while until we hop
off for Wake island. 1000 miles south
west of Midway, and reach it after a
trip unbroken by anything out of the
ordinary. AT Wake our thirsty engines
take on new supply Of fuel. And the
next stop, after 1864 miles of flying,
is Guam.
As we glide down upon Apra har-
Dor on the northwest coast Of Guam
we are coming TO rest within the con-
fines of the unbelievable-an absolute
monarchy within the United States.
In the 81 years il has belonged to US
Guam has become In many ways like
other parts of our country and it's pos
sessions. There are movie theaters
where the dyed-in-the-wool fans rave
over the darling dimples of Shirley
Temple.
Islanders Political Plight.
There are housewives who wrestle
with electric refrigerator trays TO lib
crate ice cubes which will cool the
drinking water at their dinner tables.
Streamlined automobiles speed over
smooth paved roads. Telephone and
telegraph quicken the business and
social world.
Yet these citizens Of Guam-20O0O
of them-have no vote. no voice at all
in their government. They may be
born in this distant corner of the Unit
ed States and live there all their lives:
they owe undying allegiance TO the
American flag and to the republic for
which it stands; they are not aliens.
but neither are they citizens of the
United States. and. Furthermore. never
can they become citizens of the United
States.