Evening star., 1939-02-12

for 10 years q businessman in
China and Japan and a former
president of the American ASSocid-
tion OF China. He Was the first
proprietor of the Shanghai Times.)
On small island in the North Pacific
turned. A defense program is up for
discussion and the fortification of Guam
figures prominently in the general
scheme. Congress has ticklish prob
lem to deal with when the fortification
of that island comes up.
Its stategic position is of great impor-
tance to the United States in the de-
fense program and its proximity to the
populous cities Of Japan-l4 400 miles
from Yokohama-makes a submarine
and naval air base established there by
an aggressive power a vital menace to
that country.
To clearly comprehend the strategic
position Of Guam. suggest that the
reader locate the island on a good map
so that its position relative to Japan,
Manila Hawaii, the Panama Canal, as
we'll as the American mainland, can
be clearly visualized, and fixed in the
memory.
The island of Guam lies in the North
Pacific in l3o 26' NJ latitude and
1440 49, E. longitude, 800 miles to the
east of Manila, 1400 miles to the south
of Yokohama, and is 3400 miles from
Honolulu and 5,1oO miles from San Fran
CISCO Guam belongs to the Mariana
Islands group. The other 16 islands Of
this group, inundated to Japan by the
League of Nations after the World War,
lie close to Guam at the north.
Guam extends about 80 miles, with an
average width of six miles. and has an
acreage of 220 square miles. The latest
census, July, 1898, gives the population
as 22,3l4, including about 10000 natives.
The trade of the island is principally
with the United States and Manila. In
1887 her exports to the United States
were valued at $164y879, and imports
from the United States, S345 453
Apra on the middle west coast is the
only good harbor; it is about 3ia miles
across and has a depth of to 81
fathoms. Apra serves as a naval sta
ton, and as a port of transit between
America and the Philippines Guam Is
governed by a naval commander, an
officer of the United States Navy. The
incumbent is Capt. James T. Alexander.
The island is stopover station for the
trans-Pacific air service, and is an i'm
portant relay station for the cable serv-
ice between the American mainland and
Asia. 1t is within 48 flying hours of the
coast of California
Guam Discovered in 1921.
Guam was discovered by Magellan in
1921 and was occupied by Spain in 1888,
and remained in her possession until
taken by the United States cruiser
Charleston in June, 1898.
BY its victory over Spain in 1898 the
United States came into possession of
Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines
Under the treaty of December 10. 1898,
this country paid to Spain $20OO0,0 900
for the REIMBURSEMENT of all claims to
these islands.
About the time Guam was taken
over by the United States Spain sold the
rest of the Mariana Islands to Germany,
which held them until the World War.
Japan now controls them under mandate
as stated above.
The proposed fortifcation of Guam,
with naval air and submarine base
established there, has aroused grave ap-
prehension in Japan, where ultra ma
tionalist newspapers warn that it is a
threat to the Nipponese empire.
Admiral Shozaburo Kanazawa in re-
ported interview said "Fortif1cat ton of
Guam would be like placing a gun at the
gate of neighbor." The admiral is we'll
aware of our defense plan, and should
know that our foreign policy is not one
of aggression. At the same time, he ap-
pears worried and undoubtedly skeptical
that our foreign policy will always re-
main non-aggressive. The present ruling
class in Japan probably fears some Incl
dent may occur-justifiable from the
Japanese viewpoint-that would arouse
the American people to warlike attitude.
Japanese statesmen have pledged to
their people certain militant, immutable
policies, and to retreat from them would
arouse a dangerous storm of domestic
criticism and cause China to believe ia
pan is weakening. The people of Japan
have been promised by their overlords
the complete domination of China in a
reasonable time. This is merely hors-
d'oeuvre. After China is thoroughly sub
jugated the next victims will be the rich
islands to the south, and then on and on
will Japan force her way until she has
dominated Asia.
This ambition, which may seem to us
fantastic dream, is more strongly fixed
in the minds of the Japanese military
class than any hope we may cherish that
some day the peoples of the world will
embrace our ideas Of democracy.
Unless her progress is stopped, and
stopped quickly, or financial bankruptcy
overwhelms her, Japan's ambition is like
ly to become reality.
Do not think for a moment that this
ambition. this aggressive policy and this