Evening star., 1939-01-20
Fortificution of Guum

Laymen are in no position to eX-
press an intelligent opinion as to the
advisability, or otherwise, of fortify-
ing Guam. That goes for members
Of Congress, as we'll as for other
amateur strategists. 1t is gratifying
to learn that Senators and Repre-
sentatives, by and large, conscious of
their limitations in the intricacies
of national defense, are content to
rely upon the counsel of Army and
Navy officials who have been care
fully trained to shoulder the ad-
visory responsibilities that rest upon
them, and to view in corresponding
spirit the important recommended
tions now awaiting legislative ap-
proval
{ These considerations seem to The
Star to apply in special degree to the
proposals submitted to Congress yes
terday, to authorize a dozen new
naval bases, including one at Guam,
which lies in the Pacific about 5000
miles from San Francisco. Of the
S60,0O0,000 provided by the Vinson bill
for naval bases, $5,O0O,0OO would be
earmarked to begin construction of
major base at Guam. The latter would
be the extreme western link in the
chain of forty-one bases recon-
mended by special board, of which
Rear Admiral Hepburn, former COM
mander in chief of the Fleet, is pres
ident.
The Hepburn board spent the bet
ter part Of last year investigating
the need of bases for the United
States Navy, which is notoriously de-
flcient in such facilities compared
to those at the disposal of the British
Navy. Chairman Vinson explains
that it is proposed to do only some
harbor dredging at Guam next year
and that no construction work for
the air and submarine base would be
undertaken until 1912
The Guam project was brought to
public attention in Japan and in
this country this week because of
some wild language on the subject
in the Toxic militarist press. Certain
hotspurs ventured the opinion that
If the United States fortifies Guam,
and thus signifies an intention ito
get a political foothold in China
Japan might have to smash the
American fleet" Congress will do
we'll to ignore such irresponsible talk
and to weigh the Guam fortifcation
plan. as it undoubtedly will, exclu-
sively on its merits.
Its chief merit is that the Hepburn
board recommends 1t as an indis-
pensable link in our naval defensive
system. Certainly if we are to re-
main Pacific power-and we are
through retention of Hawaii, or as
either continued occupants of the
Philippines or as their protector if
they receive final ndependence-in
any of these contingencies, according
to the reasoned and exhaustive find
ings of the experts who submitted
the Hepburn report, fortifcation of
Guam is an obvious and inescapable
necessity.
Our japanese friends are too intel
ligent to imagine that Congress will
be bluffed by loose chatter about
smashing the American fleet" AS
to our sovereign rights in the prem
ises, the Toxic government knows
full well that it is Japan which took
the lid off the fortiication situation.
In the Treaty of Washington, this
country agreed not to fortify Guam
in return for Japan's acceptance of
the 5-5-3 naval ratio. BY denounc-
ing the treaty the japanese auto
matically abrogated the restriction
imposed upon the United States
respecting Guam. The island empire
cannot eat its cake and have it, too.