Evening star., 1938-09-04
ISLAND 'R|NGS|DE'
SEAT FOR STORMS
Weather Men Will Watch
Hurricanes From Point
Off Honduras.
av xhs Assorjsted prs,.

By the Associated Press.
The Unied States Navy has taken q
ringside seat for the hurricane sea-
son-and foreign powers are looking up
the ticket stubs of diplomacy to claim
the seat for themselves.
The "ringside" is tiny Swan Island,
$50 miles oil the coast Of Honduras,
and the Navy's weather man and two
radio operators will swell It's popula-
ton to 20.
"A better spot for observing hurri-
canes could not have been found" the
Navy commented.
Since the Navy announced its prof.
ect for watching the breeding ground
Of hurricanes, however, embassy
clerks have been checking up on the
nationality of the island. Both Hon.
duras and Great Britain may chal-
lenge the United States right to it,
according to reports.
To Keep Constant Watch.
On the palm-studded island, once
haunted by pirates Of the Spanish
Main, the American crew will keep
constant watch during the hurricane
season for the tropical storms which
swing up across the ocean and some
times strike the American mainland.
They will broadcast three times
daily in the international weather
code, thus making the reports imme-
diately available to the Central Amer
lean republics. Relayed to Jackson
vile, the reports will be rebroadcast
for the United States.
The expeditions neighbors on the
Isolated island will be hve Americans
who operate a lighthouse and broad
casting station for the United Fruit
Co. and IA Cayman islanders who
fish for living. Once a month. q
boat stops there with supplies.
Since officials said the Navy had
not consulted Honduras in planning
the expedition. observers believed the
United States must be prepared to
press fully its claims to the island
New Argument Looms.
Thus, only a few weeks after the
United States and Great Britain had
reached an agreement on last years
dispute over the Pacific Islands Of
Canton and Enderbury. a new argu-
nent over island ownership seems
in prospect
Honduras claims the islands by
right of early Spanish discovery in
the 18th century Columbus passed
near there on his first trip to America
United States claims the island through
the guano fertilizer) works operated
there by a small band of Americans
in the 1850s.
In 1885, the Honduras government
was aroused by a map in the Ma
tional Geographic Magazine showing
the islands as United States terri
tory. 1t asked the society to cor
rect the map. but was referred to
a map published by the Navy Depart
ment, which bore this note:
These islands are under the domi-
nation of the United States. The
United Fruit Co. maintains a light
house which is visible from 20 miles
away, as we'll as a radio station oper-
ating under the call letters U.s."
Protested Against Map.
On December IL, 1885, Charge
d'Affaires Julian r. Caceres, acting on
instructions from his government, pro-
tested to Secretary Hull against the
Nays map. His memorandum said
in part:
That the aforesaid Swan Islands
form part of the territory under the
sovereignty of Honduras. With these
Swan Islands and all the adjacent
ones, as an integral part Hon.
duras attained independence first as
a province of Central America, and
later as a sovereign republic.
Its titles of dominion and pos
session over the said Swan Islands, as
over the others OF the archipelago to
which they belong date from the i'm
memorial time in which Spain dis
covered and took possession Of these
islands"
The Honduras protest has remained
under consideration at the State De-
partment, but the latter has made no
decision regarding it.
Meanwhile, Lord Moyne, former
undersecretary of war in Great Brit
ain, had urged his government to re-
stake her claims to Forgotten Islands
in the Caribbean. He contended last
spring that there is evidence (the
United States) have now abandoned
their claim to sovereignty" over the