Evening star., 1940-08-17
Trinidad IS Believed
Chief y. 5. Objective
In Deal With Britain
Coribbeon Island Seen
Big Factor in Sofety
OF Punomo ConoI
So ELaIS AOI.LLS.

los I>t5nd OF I.Niosd, eLAtoine
ne eoArn.gd .olLs 10 -as !nsnsma
Cana. Spd eomm1ndin9 rns l2ns.
Atlantic path from Africa 10 the
South American bulge, b the plum
President Roosevelt most desires in
his negotiating with Great Britain
for Western Hemisphere naval and
air bases. defense experts here sur
missed today.
Possession Of rights in Trinidad,
discovered by Columbus on his third
voyage to America, would give the
United States a three-point island
fortress in the Caribbean Sea for
guarding the Canal, vital to safety
50 long as the American Navy must
shuttle back and forth between the
Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. The
other two points already in use are
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in
Puerto Rico.
The northern island Of NewfOund-
land was also put on the list as
eminently desirable for base, from
which 10 guard any path Of attack
from Europe coming by way Of Ice
land and Greenland
Two Important Questions.
Over-shadowing the question of
what islands are to be obtained,
however, in the negotiations which
the President disclosed yesterday
are in progress, are these two mat
terS:
/. Will Mr.. Roosevelt have to seek
congressional sanction for whatever
arrangements he makes in his con-
versations with London on acquisi-
ton of the islands?
2. What is the United States Of
fering Britain in return?
A third question concerns the ex-
act nature of what Mr.. Roosevelt is
asking of Canada in his negotia-
tions with Ottawa for the defense
Of the hemisphere. There is no
reason necessarily for believing that
this country is asking bases of Can
ada. Mr.. Roosevelt in making the
announcement of the negotiations
made no reference to bases.
More Bases Declared Desirable.
OF the members of Congress who
commented on the disclosure of ne
gotiations, a ma ajority called scQui-
Sition of more bases desirable.
The United States arranged its
lease OF Guantanamo Bay. Cuba,
through a clause in the War De-
partment supply bill of 1901. Three
times Congress refused to sanction
American acquisition of the base
of Sanama Bay in the Dominican
Republic, and the White House in
those instances bowed to the con-
gressional will.
On the surface, these precedents
are regarded here as guiding in the
consummation of the present neeo-
tiations.
Destroyer Discussion Goes On.
President Roosevelt's insistence
that the proposal for sending 50
American over-age destroyers to
England had no connection with the
English negotiations did not stop
the destroyer discussion.
Many members of Congress and
others continued to think that the
destroyers might be involved in the
deal, as the British price for the
bases, or that the purchase price
would be deducted from Britain's
World War debt.
II the debt were liquidated some
of the obstacles to Britain's obtain
ing credit here might be removed.
Liquidation of the debt might re-
Move England from the field OF
effectiveness of the johnson Act.
which denies further loans to for
eign governments owing the United
States money and in default on
their debts.
The base-acquisition plan won the
instant public support OF Gen. George
c. Marshall, Army chief Of stan. He
told reporters at his press confer
(See DEFENSE, Page A-63