Evening star., 1941-12-14

back up Hepburn's board Then the
Navy Department took up the plan, and
Congress turned it down. Later the
House Naval Committee approved a
modified version of the project, and that
committee was overruled by the Ap-
preparations Committee.
The first money for improvements at
Guam was provided in June, 1910, when
Congress voted $277 for the estab-
lishment there of an aviation and sub
marine listening post" In March of this
year it provided $l280O.0o0 for defense
aviation facilities at Samoa and for
harbor improvements at Guam This
work was in progress when the war
started.
The importance of the small islands in
the scheme of warfare in the Pacific has
grown with the development of the air
plane. The United States has owned
some Of its dozen or more little Pacific
atolls and coral reefs for generations,
some it acquired in the Spanish
American War. But the Government
took practically no notice of any of them
except Samoa, until the commercial air
lines in 1885 constructed landing fields
on them.
When it was seen that flyers could use
them as stepping stones by which to hop
across the Pacific the Government began
to take notice. AS air bases they would
be invaluable aids, it was realized, in de-
tecting the approach of an enemy; air
fields and naval bases on them, more
over, would make it easier to blockade
Japan. Conversely, if they were unforti-
fled and fell into the hands of the foe
they constituted danger to this country.
At the wars start naval air bases were
being constructed on Midway, Wake,
Johnston and Palmyra Islands. Channels
were being cut through the coral reefs
and coral heads were being taken out of
lagoons to provide taking-off areas for
fully loaded planes. From these outposts
United States planes could patrol front
of more than 1000 miles west of Hawaii
between Unalaska and Samoa.
Midway and Wake Islands
Midway lies 1874 miles northwest Of
4ldWdl dliu w Wdhc 10 ulIlc less LfldD
halfway from Midway to Guam
Palmyra, $50 miles south of Hawaii,
Is on the route to Samoa In the Samoan
group, at Pago Pago, Tutuila Island, this
country has had a minor naval station
since 1900 1t is now of great importance
as the southern terminus for patrol
squadrons. Being on the direct air route
from fa
would be particularly useful to the
feet and its air force if the Navy wished
to maintain southern route for COM
munication with Australia, New Zealand
and Singapore.
The Pearl Harbor base on the
Hawaiian Island of Oahu is a vital
stronghold against the operations of the
Japanese feet in the Pacific. The small
outlying islands are the sentries and
auxiliaries, but Hawaii is the hub of
naval operations.
It is the home station of the fleet
and the most intensively fortified area
under the American flag. Within Pearl
Harbor are enough anchorages for the
whole American navy, although Lahaina
Roads. bounded by the islands of Maui,
Lanai and Molokai, are regularly used
naval anchorages.
Heavy army artillery guard the vital
naval installations of Pearl Harbor.
A few miles away are Fort Shafter.
Hawaiian ordnance depot and the post
for regiment of mobile coast artillery
and Fort Barrette, which was completed
about years ago. Not far distant the
Army's munitions dump is tunneled out
OF lava stone and the Navy has a huge
ammunition dump nearby.
Forts are situated at other points in
the island, and Navy planes are stationed
at the Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station.
which was just completed at a cost of
$4,000 ,000 All the main fixed defenses
are connected in system of wide. hard
surfaced highways, and railway extends
three-fourths of the way around the
island. Tanks, infantry, railway artillery
and other mobile guns can move to
any part of the island within two hours
ana cover every practicable landing