Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-09
Island Bases Tie
Gordian Knot for
Hemisphere Defense
Newfoundland, Bermuda
Are Seen of Greet
Immediate Importance
i(LaSt OF a ScrieS.)
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,

Star staff Correspondent.
ON S. S. AMERICA. AFTER
SURVEY OF BASES IN THE
CARIBBEAN Oct. 9-With unlim-
mited Understanding into billions
of dollars-made available just as
FIST as they can be effectively spent,
Uncle Sam is tying Gordian knot
of defense at the mouth of the
Caribbean Sea.
Lacings from this knot will bind
together the eight bases recently
acquired from Great Britain-from
Newfoundland to British Guiana.
III South America. scarcely $500
miles from the shore of Africa.
Thus will be established a chain
of outposts in the Atlantic from
which huge aircraft, submarines
and warships will patrol in gigantic
arcs all possible sea approaches to
the United States from the East.
Other patrol lacings will extend
to naval. air and land bases-to be
established. fortified. arsenaled and
PROFESSIONALISM the sister republics
of South America, for common de-
Tense in both the Atlantic and Paci-
fic Oceans This program contem-
plates drvdock facilities for repair
of the largest battleships at both
ends of the Panama Canal (Which
itself In an emergency could be
used as a giant drydock. and at VAL
paraiso. in Chile, where work has
already started. and large modern
naval bases % to be established
by the United States adjacent to
the Anegada. Mona and Windward
passages, at the main entrance to
the Caribbean and thence TO the
canal: ~ in Brazil. at the mouth
of the Amazon River, directly on
the Equator and ~ in Uruguay.
at the mouth of the Plata River.
The latter two are of the utmost
strategic importance in the South
Atlantic.
Monroe Doctrine Defense.
Thus all the Americas will stand
united under the Monroe Doctrine
as expanded and strengthened by
the recent Havana Pact. in common
defense of the integrity Of the
Western Hemisphere against inva-
sion from any aggressor nations in
Europe, Africa or Asia, or united
attack BY several of them.
The value of this chain of defense
bases all along the Atlantic front
of the Western HemisDhere is that
it enables the United States and the
united American republics to extend
the first line Of defense-Scoutino By
air and submarine. and offensive
action by the combat forces, alrplane
armadas. submarines and warshlna
of all ella sseS-2g ainet an approach
ing hostile power From these bases
warplanes of the United States Navy
Marine Corps and the Army can
operate-the heavy bombers on
radius up 10 1000 miles-While the
feet can command the sea within a
radius Of $500 miles
OF these off shore bases. New
foundland and Bermuda, where
United States marines are ALREADY
established-650 miles off the nearest
United States coast-are conslceren
the most Immediately important. as
they carry the first line of defense
far out to sea and are in position
to lombard the most threatening
points of attack.
Newfoundland Lookout.
The Newfoundland base Is con-
ming tower overlooking all possible
take-off stations from which an
European enemy might attempt 10
bomb industrial plants in the con-
gested Northeast. The question has
been raised that enemy nations
mieht contemplate establishing
posts in the frozen North from
which to make surprise attack
but the Newfoundland base would
promptly detect any such threat
from Northeastern Canada, Labra-
dor. Greenland or Iceland. And
from Newfoundland submarines and
cruisers will be able TO maintain
an effective surveillance and patrol
of approaches to the English Chan
mel.
Bermuda a Vital Base.
Bermuda is considered an ideal
location from which TO operate
constant long-range patrol of the
Atlantic which would serve to protect
the most important shipping lanes
to the Caribbean Sea, Gulf Of
Mexico and the Panama Canal.
Here the Marines landed weeks ago
and Immediately made a most favor
able impression. Undoubtedly, Ber-
muda will be developed as an ad-
vance base for both the feet and
aircraft.
The Bahama Islands offer no in
ducements for formidable de-
Tense base, but rather threat OF
harborage where enemy seaplanes
or submarines might Turk. The
program under consideration con-
templates airfelds and storage de-
pots on the two largest of the more
than 5000 islands, or Gays, within
the 650-mile stretch-Andros Is
land, north of Cuba and southeast
of Florida, and Great 1nagua Is
land, in the very mouth of the
Windward Passage between Haiti
and the United States naval sta
ton at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba,
where upwards of Sl0000.000 is now
being spent for strengthening de-
lenses.
Jamaica a Relay Base.
Jamaica, formerly the chief oversee
station of the Royal Navy. is in the
center of the Caribbean, between
Guantanamo Bay 187 miles distsnb
and the Panama Canal, t55l miles
away. 1t is the largest island
in the British West Indies, with
1000 900 population and adequate
resources to support any kind of
defense base. Kingston has a
commercial air1eld and fairly
good harbor, but there is likely
to be no new naval base here be-
cause either Guantanamo Bay. or
~ e