Evening star., 1940-09-21
Bases in the Pacific

OOSCS III lIIC ] ONIIN
News of impending japanese
moves in French Indo-China, with
resultant threat to the status quo in
the Far East, lends special interest
to concurrent reports in Washing
ton and London that Anglo-Ameri-
can conversations are in progress
concerning common interests in the
Pacific. Specifically, it is stated,
Secretary Hull has been comforting
on that subject with the British Am
bassador, Lord Lothian, and the
Australian Minister, Mr.. Casey. The
particular topic under discussion is
said to concern the use by the United
States of naval and air bases in
Asia, Africa, Australia and New
Zealand.
Since outbreak of the European
war and consequent concentration
of British naval power in home
waters and the Mediterranean, the
burden of safeguarding the Pacific
interests of Western nations has
rested almost exclusively upon the
United States fleet. That response
bility became the greater with Ger
man conquest of the Netherlands
and France, leaving the valuable
Asiatic possessions of those countries
more or less at the mercy of the axis
powers and especially Of their anti
Comintern partner, Japan. whose
ambitions for territorial expansion
in the South Pacific are all but openly
avowed.
In the wake of our recent deal
with Great Britain. whereby we &C
quire the use of eight strategically
located bases in the Western At
lantic. discussion arose as to the ad-
visibility of strengthening ourselves
correspondingly in the Far Pacific.
Should fate one day decree that the
United States feet would have to
clear for action in those distant
waters, our lack of bases there would
be serious handicap. If some un-
derstanding were feasible, whereby
American ships and planes would
have access, for repairs, supplies and
other vital needs, to such places as
Hong Kong, strongly fortified Singa-
pore and other British harbors and
ports, a grave deficiency in our ne
cessities in the vast region of the
Pacific would be remedied to our
immeasurable advantage.
Probably no commitments in the
matter of American use of Britain's
world bases" or joint Anglo -Ameri-
can occupation of them, would be
practicable, pending further clarif-
cation of the war situation, primarily
the battles of Britain and the Medi-
terranean. The future headquarters
of the British fleet would be a para
mount consideration if it were no
longer possible to base it on the home
islands.
ouA oFSt1lIi1CllV lIlA OuSIlOuI lIlC
past three years of Japanese-pro-
voked crisis in the Far East, has
made plain that while the United
States pursues an independent pol
icy there, we are animated by a
parallel course" of action, as far as
Britain is concerned. If it is found
possible, in the interests of both
countries, to evolve some mutually
profitable scheme whereby British
bases could be made available to our
air and sea forces, such an arrange
ment would unquestionably be highly
acceptable to the American Govern
ment and people.
In the event of complete Nazi vic
tory in Europe, there will be eco
nomie, as well as naval and military,
consequences of magnitude to be
faced by non-totalitarian nations
throughout the world Ways and
means of protecting normal trade
between the United States and over
seas British dominions, such as joint
naval and air bases would afford,
constitute not the least important
argument in support of the plan
now understood to be under review.