Evening star., 1944-08-14
Full Sovereignty Seen
u. S. Aim in Pacific


U. S. Aim in Pacific
Presidents Broadcast Indicates
Islands' Joint Rule, Says Writer
BY David Laurence
The United States Government in.
tends that neither France nor Great
Britain shall again exercise exclusive
sovereignty over any important STRAIT
egic islands in areas of the Pacific
Ocean adjacent to South America AZ
well ~ to Japan and the Asiatic main
land.
This n1omentous decision was revealed
in an incidental passage Of President
Roosevelt's speech broadcast from Seat
tie on his return from q visit to the
Hawaiian and the Aleutian Islands.
What the President said will bring sat-
bfaction not only to those naval officers
who have all along been insisting that
this is essential to the safety and Sc
curity Of the United States in the fu-
ture but 1t will assure every soldier,
sailor and marine who has fought in
the Pacific that his efforts and the
sacrifices Of those who have lost their
lives already will not be in vain.
The statement that neither Great
Britain nor France is to retain unlimited
sovereignty over previous possessions in
the Pacific does not mean, however, that
the United States expects to obtain
that sovereignty for itself
Instead q system Of joint trusteeship
Is to be evolved in which the United
States expects to deploy her own defen-
sive or peacetime forces in preponderant
numbers along with other forces from
the United Nations. 1t is to be assumed
that under the same system of unified
command which in this war has existed
so harmoniously in the entire Pacific
area east OF Singapore, admirals or gen.
erals of the United States will be in
command Of any and all Allied forces
In the islands to be placed under Joint
trusteeship.
No Annexation Involved.
No annexation of territory or curtail-
ment Of the pledges in the so-caIled
Atlantic Charter is in any way involved.
After the World War, system of man
dates" or international trusteeship was
put into effect. But Japan was given
the mandate for most of the islands in
the Western, Pacific, and as for Austria
liza, New Zealand and the French gov
ernment which received authority over
some of the other islands under man
date, none possessed naval or military
forces adequate to protect the interests
or safety of the United States This, it
is resolved, shall not happen again.
1t is important to examine carefully
the language Of the Presidents first
public statement of American policy on
the strategic islands of the Pacific. He
said:
I'VE understand at last the import
ance Of the Hawaiian Islands. 1t Is
important that We have other bases
forward bases nearer to Japan than
they lie. The same thing Is true in re-
gard to the defense of all the American
republics from Mexico past the Panama
Canal and all the way down to Chile.
There are hundreds Of islands in the
South Pacific which bear the same re-
lstion to South America and the Pana-
ma Canal as Hawaii bears to North
America.
These islands are possessions of tn.
British Empire and the French. They
are important commercially just as they
are from the defense point OF view for
they lead to New Zealand, Australia, the
Dutch Indies and the Southern Philip.
pines. With all these We shall un.
doubtedly have a growing trade.
Destinies Entwined.
I'VE have no desire to ask for any
possessions Of the United Nations. But
the United Nations who are working so
we'll with us in the winning of the war
will, I am confident, be glad to join
with US In protection against aggres-
sion and in machinery to prevent sg.
gresslon. With them and with their
help am sure that we can agree COM
pietely so that Central and South Amer.
lea will be as safe against attack from
the South Pacific as North America is
going to be from the North Pacific. The
self-interests of our Allies will be af-
fected by fair and friendly collaboration
with US. They will gain economically
The destinies OF the peoples of the
whole Pacific will for many years be
entwined with our own destiny"
What the President apparently has In
mind Is that civil administration in
such big islands, for instance, as New
Guinea or New Caledonia would con-
tinue In the future, as in the past, under
British and French authority respect
lively where their sovereignty has pre-
viously prevailed.
But complete military authority
would be exercised by the United States
as trustee for the United Nations. This
country's military officers therefore
would be in actual command of any
and all areas needed for air or naval
or army bases so that defense activities
can always be Immediately put into
operation the moment any threat of
aggression appears on the horizon.
1t is likely, however, that the United
States will be more interested in man
ming bases closer to Japan and the
Aleutians than in the Southwest Pa
cific but for the moment the broad
principle enunciated by President
Roosevelt serves as hint of one of
the principal points the United States
Government will insist on when a
peace settlement is made by the United
Nations after the close of the war