Evening star., 1940-12-31
Bases for Warp|anes
And Subs in Greenland
Proposed for u. 5.
IsIond But ] 200 Miles
Awoy Is Rich in Striking
Power, Scientists Told
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,

ana ESTABLISHMENT OF American All
fields and submarine bases in that
land Of perpetual ice were proposed
before the American Association fol
the Advancement of Science here
today by DR.. William H. Hobbs OF
the University Of Michigan, veteran
Arctic explorer.
With one or more landing fields
on the southwest coast and another
in Jameson Land, on the east coast
he said, there would be no stretch OF
open water between the United
States and England greater thar
900 miles in width. With these
fields in operation, he explained
fighters and b0mbers heavily loaded
could be delivered to the British
Isles in five hops. The first would
be from the factory to Labrador
then to Southwest Greenland, tc
Jameson Land, to Reykjavik, which
is under the control Of Canadian
troops, to England.
Jameson Land, about halfway ur
the east coast, Prof. Hobbs said, Is
the only possible site for landing
field. Since 1880 it has been a Ger.
man meteorological station. 1t is
the part of Greenland best known
to Germany.
Pictures Military Possibilities.
The United States, DR.. Hobbs
revealed, now has four revenue
cutters of Godthaab, Danish capita
of South Greenland. He painted 9
weird picture of the military
potentialities of this land, only ,20(
miles from the United States, ir
the hands of an enemy power. Along
the west coast there is relatively
level strip Of barren soil which ex-
tends inland from a few miles te
a hundred miles. Beyond are ice
covered mountains, some 5000 feet
high, which completely surround
the island.
Beyond the mountains Is the
great ice cap whose dome-like top
smoothed by the winds of centuries
is 1000 feet above sea level. 1t i:
hidden in the circle of mountains
To the observer, he said, it appears
perfectly level, although the sur.
face is slightly curved. There is M
reason, he believes, why 1t woule
not make an excellent airf1eld. Al
supplies, of course, would have tt
be brought in by air There is moi
a living thing within radius Of
hundreds of miles. The Eskimo
settlements stop with the noun
tains.
Once an airbase was established
there, he believes, it would be COM
pletely hidden from the world anc
able to dispatch surprise fleets Of
bombers over Canada and the
United States. Another possibility
stretch Of coast In the extreme
northeast about which almost moth
ing is known. The United States
once had a tentative claim to it
but gave up all rights to Denmark
when the Virgin Islands were ceded
Points to Favored Spots.
Most of the southwest coast, he
said, can be reached by open water
from May to October Among the
spots he proposed for United States
air bases was Cape Farewell, the
southern tip of the island. Another
favorable site would be Arsukfjord
where the Danish cryolte mines art
located. with good docks and a semi.
permanent colony of trained work.
men.
Another base, he pointed out
might be set up at Julianshaab, alse
in the southwest, where there is 6
large colony of friendly Eskimo anc
a powerful long wave radio station
Perhaps the most favorable site fol
either an air or submarine base
DR.. Hobbs said, would be the little
settlement of Sangmissok, a bit
north Of Cape Farewell, which i.
located "in the center of a star OF
intersecting fjords."
He urged study of the possibility
of submarines from such base
being able to operate under the ice
about eight months of the year
ready to leap into the open North
Atlantic at any moment to inter-
cept enemy raiders.
The central plateau of Greenland
DR.. Hobbs said, is swept in winte,
by some of the most terrible storms
known to man. This would be an
aviation hazard were it not for the
fact that a study of the prevailing
winds shows that a pilot always
could keep a favorable tailwind
especially when flying east. Even
westward flying pilots, by orienting
themselves in respect to the winds
could gain greatly by tailwinds.
Difficult for Enemy.
Once an airbase was established
in Greenland, it was pointed out
it would be difficult to dislodge dur
ing most of the year.
The first definiate proof of an
insect carrier for neurotropic virus
was reported today by DR.. c. H
Kitselman, A. w. Grundmann and
Roger G. Smith of the Kansas State
College.
1t is known that some of the most
dreaded of human diseases-espe-
cially poliomyelitis and encephalitis
are due to a virus which specif-
ically attacks the nerve cells. These
maladies occur in epidemics. It has
been impossible to determine how
they are spread. Various insects
especially mosquitoes, have beer
suspected.
Last summer there was an
epidemic Of horse encephalitus, very
similar to the human sleeping sick
ness, in the Midwest. There was also
an invasion of large, blood sucking
insect known as the Mexican bed
bug, which fed particularly upon
horses.
The Kansas State College scientists