Evening star., 1937-02-28

ing laboratory" consequently. will
have to lift its heaviest fuel load on
the take-off from Rowland. Other
runways which have been cleared
vary in length from half to three
quarters Of a mile and can be used
for landing purposes If the wind hap
pens to be blowing across the long
one when Miss Earhart arrives there.
The island itself is approximately
two miles long and three-quarters Of
a mile wide 1t Is nearly fat. the
highest portion being only about Is
feet above sea level, the lowest section
being the center Of the island as
though it might have been formed
from a narrow coral atoll. the lagoon
of which eventually became filled up.
Howland is, in effect, shallow trough
Of coral sand and sparse vegetation.
the center of which is only few feet
above the level of the Pacific.
U. S. Makes Survey.
In a report on survey OF the island
made last August. Mr.. Miller says:
There Is no ridge surrounding this
island; a broad, sandy and in some
spots gravelly beach slopes upward at
a slight angle on the western side of
the island. On the windward or
eastern side. there is practically no
beach, the island rising abruptly to
about ten feet in height from the
reef" The latter surrounds the
island completely with dangerous
shadows except that it is about so
yards wide and fiat on the leeward or
western side of the island, affording
an easy landing for small boats ex-
cept at low tide when the reef is
aWash.
After the Bureau Of Air Commerce
decided that definite title to Rowland,
Baker and Jarvis Islands was indis-
pensable to Americas plans for the
aerial development of the Pacific, it
consulted the State Department and
was told they already belonged to the
United States. 1t was admitted, how
ever, that England might raise con-
f1icting claim, both countries having
listed them as island possessions and
granted concessions for their exploita-
ton in the guano-digging days of the
last century. But it was pointed out
that both countries had abandoned
them, that they had remained unin-
habited for long period of time and
that whoever first moved to colonize
them would gain undisputed possess
sion under the provisions of inter-
national law.
Expedition Kept Secret.
Acting on this advice. the Depart
ment of Commerce, in January, 1895,
quietly instructed Mr.. Miller to proceed
to Honolulu and just as quietly organ
ize an expedition to colonize the three
islands. This he did, recruiting for
colonists 20 Hawaiian boys 18 to "a
years old from the famous Kameham-
cha Schools established by the Bishop
estate, Ebert Judd, president of the
Bishop Museum in Honolulu, lending
him every assistance and cooperation
to keep the expedition a secret. Tents,
food supplies and other equipment
we're supplied by the Government and
Mr. Miller sailed for the Equatorial
Islands aboard the Coast Guard cutter
Itasca with his enthusiastic charges
on March 20. It was not until October,
nearly eight months later and long
after a group of four camping-out
colonists had been established on each
of the three islands, that news
leak" on the cartographical coup
d'etat was arranged and it was re-
vealed to the world that Howland,
Baker and Jarvis were now indis-
putably American territory.
On its colonization cruise the Itasca
spent five days at each of the islands,
Mr.. Miller experimenting the work Of
putting the settlers" and their sup
plies ashore-including an ample
amount of fresh water carried on the
Itasca in 50-gallon steel drums-and
in helping them to establish camp.
Other Islands Visited.
Previous survey calls had been made
at Kingmans Reef and Palmyra Island
to determine the feasibility of their