The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-09-18
ECUADOR BASES COMPLETE RING
 AROUND CANAL
BY LAWRENCE s. HAAS United Press Latin American Edisol

United Press Latin American Edisoa New York, Sept. 1S- CUP) -Es- tablishment of United States basei in the Pacific, at Santa Elena, oD the Westernmost point of the Equa. dorian mainland, and on Equas dor'S Galapagos Islands famed ir pirate lore and celebrated sB Q naturlists' paradise completes veritable defense ring of steel and air power around the Panams Canal.
 Outlying bastions for the protec- ton of the great Panama water. way, so vital not only to United States interests but also to many of the South American countries. now dot the arcs of a great circle.
 One swings out from Cuba, oD the northern edge of the Carib~ bean, down to the very shores of the South American continent.
 The other curves westward northward, then eastward from Santa Elena, just below the equa- tor, embracing the Galapagos Ar. chipelago in the Pacific west of ths 9Oth meridian, west longitude, and about 1000 miles from the Canal.
 The Panama Canal lies soma what to the south of center of this imaginary circle, which traverses or includes 10 of the Il American republics aligned with the United States in the conflict against the Axis, the Western Hemisphere pos- sessions of European belligerents where United States bases are now located, and some of the American nations that have severed relations with the Axis and which pledged themselves to whole hearted de- fense cooperation.
 Naval And Air Bases In Cuba
 Within this circle lie the follow ing territories and countries in many of which strong points exist or are nearing completion:
 l. Cuba, with great U. s. Naval base on Guantanamo Bay, and U. s. air base under cons truction at San Antonio and at two other points. Cuba and the United States recentlu signed a military and na- val cooperation pact to remain in force until six rlonths after the end of the war.
 2. Haiti and the Dominican Re- public, both at war with the Axis, and both providing full co-opera. tion with the United States defense systems
 3. The Island of Puerto Rico, of ten called the Gibraltar of the Caribbean" where construction work and growing naval ant, mili- tary concentrations are being con- verted into a powerful defense bull wark.
 4. The Virgin Islands, United States possessions, whose defenses have been greatly strengthened since 1940.
 5. Some of the British Western Hemisphere possessions, where U. S. bases already have been con- structed, and where army, navy and air forces of undivllged strength are stationed. They include Ja- maica, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barba- dos and the island of Trinidad ly- ing just off the Venezuelan coast.
 Mexico Increases Patrol
 6. Mexico, the five Central American republics of Guatemala, Fl Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica and the Republic of Panama all at war with the Axis and cooperating with the United States in the defense of the Conti- nent. United States air bases long have been established in many of the Central American republics, and Mexican military, naval and air forces, supplied with lease-lend military material, are constantly stepping up their patrol activities.
 2. The Dutch West Indies, where and which are defended by Meth erlands and United States land and air forces.
 8. The Republics of Venezuela and Colombia, lying close to the Canal. These two countries acted promptly in severing relations with the Axis after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and United States naval craft and planes unceasingly pa- trol their Atlantic coastlines. Even Brazilian air force planes range far westward along the northern coast on South America. One such land- ed recently at the airport of Car tagena, Colombia.
 9. The republic of Equador which also has broken relations with Germany, Italy and Japan and where the latest announce ment of U. s. air bases was made. These mainland and Galapagos Is- lands are of great srategical and tactical value in protecting the Canal and its approaches from any aggression on the Pacific side, and in defending United States ship ping lanes between the Canal and South American countries to the south, such as Peru, Bolivia and Chile, which are purveyors of raw materials important to the United states war effort, and which de- pend on manufactured products and other goods from this country. NYoor rI,, EAn faa kstVa r,, 0fiNx1 V1frf1fgna