The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-13

trip ahead.
All, but we're overlooking a bet,
Admiral Richard Z. Byrd reminds
US. As an expert on the axis other
end I'm referring to our mundane
axis, not the Nazi-Fascist-Japa-
nese one). the admiral begs to point
out that the South Poles as west
ern hemispherically important as
the northern one.
In all seriousness he maintains
that we need a, naval and aerial
base on the north coast Of the Ant
arctic continent, at about the place
where Atlantic and Pacific waters
mix.
And maybe he's right, some Of
our navy and aviation strategists
say. It's only comparatively short
hop from northern Antarctica to
Cape Horn. BY corking up that
bottleneck we could put a stopper
into Nazi attempts to swish out Of
the Atlantic, Pacific oceanward.
and into japanese attempts to get
out Of the Pacific into the Atlantic
brine; also into a junction Of EN-
for cooperative activities.
Furthermore, it's to be recalled
that the Germans actually did try
to navigate Magellan strait during
the last war. Admiral Won Spec,
with a Teutonic raider squadron,
had been scampering back and
forth between the two southern
oceans. doing a lot Of damage.
Finally a British squadron under
Admiral Sturdee overhauled him
Of the Falkland islands and
smashed most Of his feet. Won
Spec. aboard his flagship. the
Scharnhorst, got away, however.
and streaked II into the strait.
where Sturdee overlook him and
sank his craft with all hands.
So, as a matter Of fact, perhaps
those waters are worth watching.
as Dick Byrd asserts. It's thus that
our strategists reason.
Britain There First:
There's been a bit OF argument
as to what country owns Antarc-
tica. Several years ago Byrd him.
self claimed at least part of 1t for
the United States, by right Of dis
covery, and named his particular
area Little America. The British,
though, insisted that Scott and
Shackleton, Englishmen, had beat
en- him to 1t, and contended that
the whole South Pole belonged to
them. But, at today's juncture, 1t
isn't likely that John Bull would
object to Uncle Sans establish
ment Of an anti-Axis base in the
penguin-inhabited southern realm.
No, there probably wouldn't be
any friction as to that issue, but
there surely would be plenty Of it
IL Uncle Samuel should adopt the
suggestion made by David H. Pop
per Of the Foreign Policy associa-
tons staff in recent report to the
association.
Strategist Pepper proposes Yam
kee bases all the way down the
South American east coast, below
the Caribbean, especially at the ex-
tremity Of Brazil's bulge into the
Atlantic, whieh-ts isn't far from Az
rica's bulge from the opposite di.
rection.
That doubtless could be fixed
with pro-Yankee Brazil. However,
Brother Pepper also thinks we
should have bases at the extremity
Of the African bulge, to compile
ment Brazil's. He means a base at
Dakar, which is French owned.
And he wants bases on Portugals
Azores and Cape Verde islands and
on SPANS Canaries. Now, it's a
safe bet that France, Portugal and
Spain would yell their heads off in
opposition to any such western
hemispherical acquisition. Even II
they had no objections of their own
TO offer, respectively, Germany GER
tainly would coerce 'em into howl
ing, Just as II coerced Denmark
into yowling over our Greenland
protectorate.
Expert Pepper mentions bases at
Singapore and on the Australian
coasts, too. That part Of the pro-
gram, OF course, would be more
than satisfactory to the English
and the Anzacs. Brazil pretty sure
iy would be aeagieseent. There'd be
no protest from the Antarctic PEN
gums. But from France, Spain and
Portugal oh, my!
That Long Highway
The movement TO link up the
Americas by means Of a paved
roadway clear from our own YAM
kee network down through the
Latin republics to the settled-up
areas in Argentina and Chile isn't
an overseas project, but 1t does
have its western hemisperieally de-
fensive ASPECT. 1t would tie our
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