Evening star., 1940-08-27

center along the Atlantic seaboard
might find itself in as much peril
as are Dover and other English
coastal cities.
The Bermudas are tremendously
important from military stand
point because of their strategic To-
cation with reference to the United
States coast and the West Indies,
in which the United States has
located or is locating its main east
ern defense installations for the
Panama Canal.
The Bermuda group, composed of
800 coral islands in group only
% miles in length and comprising
some 20 square miles, are only 589
miles distant from the nearest point
on the United States coast, Cape
Hatteras. They are 704 miles from
Boston, 697 miles from New York,
656 miles from Newport and 670
miles from Norfolk, now one of our
most important East Coast naval
and aviation defense centers.
The Bermudas have been an i'm
portant British naval and coaling
station since 1869. when large iron
dry dock was towed there from
England and placed in ST. George
Harbor. This harbor, which can
accommodate a great fleet, was
made available for naval use by
blasting out deep channel through
the outer protecting shoals.
Naval Station on Ireland Island.
The Royal Navy has located its
dockyard and naval station on Ire
land Island, which abuts the chan
mel into Great Sound, in which the
United States would establish what
ever bases may be decided on if the
British offer is accepted.
There is precedent for the joint
use by the United States and Great
Britain of the Bermudas in prior
action permitting British and
United States air transport opera
tions there on a reciprocal basis.
On August II, 1898, Bermuda was
placed under joint control of the
two nations for use by British and
American civil aviation.
On August IS, 1899. it was agreed
on the part of the two nations to
extend this civil aviation arrange
ment so years, with a proviso that
it might be continued indefinitely.
The Bermudas owe their existance
to the coral-building polyp, and they
mark the extreme northerly range
of these polyps. 1t is probable that
the many coral knobs composing
the island group are built on top
of an extinct volcano, scientists say.
The largest island of the group,
Great Bermuda or Main Island, is
IA miles long, with an average
width of about mile Great Sound
is formed in part by hook at the
southwest end of this island.
First Glass Base.
1t is the opinion of military ex-
perts that the greatest value of Ber-
muda from the United States naval
viewpoint would be as a base for
oPCi dO1Oll VI LllC 4isllGCI lldNdl 1OI CcO,
including cruisers, destroyers and
submarines. For this purpose the
islands would provide a first-class
base.
Even more important, however,
would be its use for air base pur-
poses. Operations from a Great
Sound base would probably be en-
tirely by flying boats and seaplanes,
since there is little room for large
landplane airport, and it is not
likely that the use of land for such
purposes would be offered. Great
Sound, however, would provide an
ideal base for the operation of long
range flying boats and patrol
bombers.
Use of the Bermuda base would
permit the United States to throw
strong surface and air screen out
on both sides of the Bermudas,
paralleling the Atlantic Coast and
the West Indies and either to break
up any possible enemy attacks far at
sea or to provide ample warning
for shore-based naval and air
forces.