Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-05
New Bases UsabIe
For EmergencyU.5.
Forces Immediately
Supply Ships Could Fill
Cop Until Permanent
Facilities Are Installed
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
Atlantic island bases acquired
from Great Britain can be used at
once, in advance of any construc-
ton, for emergency sea and air
patrol operations from floating
bases. AS result, they already have
become an important part of the
United States and hemisphere de-
tense system. in the opinion OF naval
and military authorities.
Air patrols could be undertaken
from any one of the eight new
British bases with no more delay
than necessary to send seaplane
tender and the necessary number
of patrol flying boats from the
nearest mainland base. Sheltered
harbors available on all of the
seven islands and in British Guiana
provide necessary shelter for regu-
lar patrol operations for an indefi-
mite period, it is believed.
Submarine patrols also could be
initiated at once from several of
the new bases by basing the under
sea boats on submarine tenders,
using oil tankers. supply ships and
repair ships, if it became necessary
to continue operations over an ex-
tended period.
Trained in Such Operations.
Some of the Navy flying boat
squadrons have had extensive train
ing operations from tenders in
harbors lacking any other facilities.
For several years, patrol squadrons
were sent to Dutch Harbor, Una
laska, for extended periods to carry
on Photographic, survey and train
ing missions. An air base now is
being built at Unalaska.
The effect is an immediate
strengthening of American defenses
/ nthe Atlantic. The new bases will
become increasingly strong as con-
struction work is undertaken and
fueling facilities, supplies, docking
and repair equipment, anti-aircraft
and harbor guns and other install
lations are provided.
In case emergency defense of any
of the new bases becomes necessary,
marines fro mthe East Coast EX-
peditionary Force base at Quantico,
Va, now being reorganized into
''streamlined" brigades for just such
service, could be sent with little
delay. Army units, including the
National Guard units in the Federal
service, also could be sent to defend
any of the bases.
The result of this ability i'm
mediately to man the new bases is
that, although the transfer of so
destroyers to Great Britain will re-
duce by approximately half the
number of United States destroyers
in the Atlantic, this can be partially
Offset at once. if necessary, by estab-
ishment of emergency air and
underwater patrols from the
strategically located new bases.
Locations to Be Determined.
The only remaining formality
necessary to such emergency oc-
cupation of the new bases is the
determination of the exact location
of each of the bases and the laying
out of the boundaries. Selection
and delimitation of the sites and the
location of such military installa-
lions as seward, coast and anti
aircraft guns and defenses, camps
or barracks for garrisons, stores
docks and other necessary auxiliary
facilities will be made by joint
agreement.
For this purpose, United States
military missions will be sent to all
of the bases, as already has been
done in the case of Newfoundland
and Bermuda. American warships
are to be sent in the very near
future to survey each of the pro-
posed base sites.
Of the eight new British bases,
made available under 99-year leases,
those at Newfoundland, Bermuda,
Trinidad and British Guiana are
regarded as the most important.
These four probably will be de-
veloped as major sea and air bases,
while minor bases probably will be
established at the other four islands,
the Bahamas, Antigua, st. Lucia
and Jamaica.
Newfoundland already is the base
for joint British-American trans
Atlantic air transport operations
The big commercial flying boat and
landplane terminal, at Hatties
Camp and Gander Lake, near
Botwood, now is being used as a
base for the ferrying of American
built warplanes to England under
their own power.
Many Little Harbors Available.
The American base in Newfound-
land is expected to be located in
the southern part of the island, in
the vicinity of st. Johns; there
are many little harbors along this
part of the coast suitable for sub
marine or small ship bases, and
there are level coastlands available
for landplane bases.
Newfoundland is of the utmost
Importance to the defense of the
United States and the continent,
because it commands all the ap-
proaches by the Northern Great
Circle route from Europe, by air
or sea, and stands directly on the
shortest air route between Europe
and North America. 1t would be
the first military outpost encount-
cred by an enemy seeking to fight
his way to the North American
mainland by the stepping stones of
the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland.
Bermuda is of vital importance
as naval and air base, extending
the American defense frontier at
one step TOO miles to the east. 1t
covers the gap between Newfound-
land and the group of important
bases in the West Indies at the