Evening star., 1940-12-30
Bv STEPHEN TRUMBULL.

Dec. "a (By Air Mall to N.A.N.AD-
This is the story of the dot on the
map that has become the powder
keg of the Western Hemisphere.
1t is an eyewitness, uncolored &C
count of what is happening, and
what well could happen, at the scene
of Uncle Sans probable move No. l
should the clouds of World War No.
z come closer to these shores.
Will our flag be raised here after
negotiations or after gunfire? What
are those American destroyers do
ing out there on the horizon now?
How extensive is our present police
move at this outpost OF Hitler
conquered nation? What of the
fifth column" here?
What does Martinique think Of
this new policeman on the beat?
What will Martinique do about 1t
if he gets tough, and what will he
do about it If Martinique gets
tough?
Some utterly fantastic stories
have come from this spot 1918 miles
south and east OF Miami-stories
Of positive Nazi plots, stories of a
Hitler weapon already cooked and
ready to cut loose at The lifeline
of the Americas. the Panama Canal,
not too far away as the bomber
flies.
Strange Game Of Strategies.
With the Martinique OF today
these are far-fetched. But with
the Martinique of tomorrow so many
things could happen that no theory
can be discarded as far-fetched. 1t
Is a chessboard on which a strange
game of strategies. intrigues and
diplomatic high-jinks is being
played. And the game Is for keeps.
The Martinique Of today wants
to be friends, but the Martinique OF
today gets its orders from Vichy,
and Vichy gets pointed suggestions
from Hitler.
Hitler may have no immediate use
for Martinique, but he could right
well use something that Martinique
now houses-somewhere between
800 and $50 tons OF gold. This is
not a typographical error; the word
is tons"
You don't read much about this
gold that was spirited here, after a
seagoing game of hide and seek with
the British as France was crumbling.
1t is omitted from official state
ments, but it is playing a vital part
in this complicated story. At least
two American missions are reliably
reported to have visited Fort de
Saix, the present treasure house.
They were making certain no part
of the gold had been passed back
to Europe on pay to the order of
A. Hitler"
Nearby Bases Acquired.
Why, from the strategic view
point, is the United States in such
a dither over this little and distant
island? Haven't we acquired space
on a lot of little British islands in
these same latitudes in the now
historic swap for destroyers? The
answer Is a necessary prelude to all
that is to follow.
On either side of this island are
deep-water passages to and from
the Panama Canal. At st. Johns,
Antigua, to the north, the United
States acquired base where even
a destroyer cannot dock at the inner
harbor. At St. Lucia, to the south,
a base was acquired where in GER
tain months of the year the pro-
lection afforded an anchored sea-
plane is debatable. These are highly
strategic auxiliary bases-but still
no more than auxiliary bases.
At Trinidad. within sight of the
South American mainland. there is
deep water and the makings of a
more substantial base. But there.
at least at this writing, the United
States is having some trouble in
placing a projected air base. Our
strategists are not too satisfied with
the swamp staked out for us there
by our British cousins.
Now let's look at Martinique. Here
is the finest harbor between Cuba
and South America, just as it stands
today. Here are some Is square
miles of protected deep water. where
the entire Atlantic fleet could lie
at anchor. Here are ample docks,
cranes, some machine shops and a
drydock which could receive a de-
stroyer. A rudiment of naval STRAIT
egy teaches that feet near such
a base has a tremendous advantage
over an invader coming from any
distance. Here, in short, is ready
made Gibraltar and Pearl Harbor,
all rolled into one.
Mountains Flank HarbOr.
High mountains so flank this har-
Dor that an attacking aircraft would
come within the murderous cross
fire of anti-aircraft units on three