The Washington times., 1936-11-24
NEW SEAPLANE
BASE SOUGHT
IN HAWAII

While Americas booming In
sular metropolis lay marooned In
mid.Pacific by the maritime strike
today, member Of the Hawaiian
Territorial Harbor Commission dis
cuSSed with Federal officials q
new seaplane base between the
entrance to Pearl Harbor and the
entrance to Honolulu Harbor, for
the use of tranSpacific planes.
On his way to New York after
attending the annual convention
of the National Association Of Real
Estate Boards in New Orleans
where he put on a Hawaiian
Night" which all but persuaded
the delegates to take their next
convention to the Pacific paradise,
Earl Thacker, at the Willard
Hotel, alternately sang the glories
of his island home and Of its
needs in the way of commercial
and military development as the
most important crossroads of the
Pacific.
urges Preparedness
OF it's military situation, he
said:
Hawaii is the Gibraltar Of
the Pacific. There are many
japanese in the islands, but
they are too smart to attack
us. Even so, we should be bet
ter prepared than we are. I
find feeling among some Of
our best-infOrmed military men
that our newest and most ef-
fective equipment, including
planes, should be sent to out
posts like Honolulu, Panama
and Alaska. In the past it has
been the practice too often to
send to these outlying bases
equipment which has Outlived
it's usefulness in the United
States. This policy should be re-
Versed.
"AlthOugh Hawaii is 3,1OO
miles from Japan-a long way
from her base of supplies in any
military operation aimed at the
isIandS-we must make sure Of
the security of Hawaii to in
sure the safety of the cOntinen-
tai United States"
BECOMES ELOQUENT
But it is when he talks of tropic
nights, of the meaning and the
grace of the hula hula, as the ma
tive girls interpret the surge of
the sea and the music of falling
waters, and of the future of the
islands as a place to live and
make money, that Mr.. Thacker
reaches his greatest eloquence.
Serving in the Navy during the
war, and afterward in the mer-
chant marine, rising rapidly in
the various grades, he finally quit
the sea ten years ago to settle
down in Honolulu and become
one of its best known investment
brokers and dealers in real estate.
He is also commodore of the Pearl
Harbor Yacht Club.
So much of the native-son at
titude has he absorbed that he
viewed with alarm in a New York
newspaper column a report that
Jimmie Cromwell, the husband
of Dorie Duke Cromwell, who has
just established a residence in
the islands and announced his
purpose to build a palatial home,
is to be Hawaii's next governor.
The islands laws require three
years residence to be eligible for
the post.
Might Make Good
EYentually the CromwellS
might make good governors, like
the Farringtons and the Poindex-
ters and the others, but not in
violation of Hawaiian law, he
thinks.
Joe harrington, member Of
the territorial senate and son of
the former governor, who will be
remembered in washington as a
one-time newspaper correspond
ent here, was Mr.. Thacker's best
man when he was married in the
islands.
And, oh yes:
"I telephOned the islands
yesterday"
That's what he said-"tele-
phoned."
TIED UP BY STRIKE
"-and they said the Monterey
was standing three miles off
shore to take on passengers who
wanted tn reach the mainland.