Evening star., 1944-02-06
AnzaCS Claim Pacific Isles
Agreements Would Bar Future L. S. Bases
In Area Considered Defense Arc

ar Future L. S. Bases
red Defense Arc
been for two years under steady
American air attack.
The mandates were first ear
marked for Australian and New
Zealand possession by the secret
Anglo-Japanese treaty of 1915.
President Wilson remained ignorant
OF the existence of this treaty of
spoils until after the armistice
Breckenridge Long. now assistant
Secretary of State, made an in
effectual fight during the peace
conference to obtain Western
Samoa and also have the japanese
inundated islands come under
American title as naval bases, but
combined opposition by the Anzacs
and japanese defeated this move
The Anzac pact, in continuously
expanding concentric rings of as
serted political rights, says that
the two members of the empire
reserve the right to be represented
in any transfer of title or even
of administration of the enemy ter
ritories, which would include the
Marshalls, Marianas, Carolines and
Pelews, japanese possessions of
which doomed the defenders OF
Bataan to torture and death.
The next ring of external as
sertion states that the Anzacs
agree to oppose unitedly any change
OF sovereignty or system of con-
troll in any of the islands of the
Pacific" which lacks their consent
The last assertion is world wide
in scope. Here the statesmen, rep
resenting Australia's seven millions
and New Zealand's one and a half
millions. assert their right to be
associated not only in the men,
bership, but also on the planning
and establishment of the general
international organization referred
to in the Moscow declaration"
The Anzac pact further asserts
that the arc of islands from Portu-
guese Timor to American Samoa is
regional zone Of defense based
on Australia and New Zealand"
This arc includes the independent
kingdom of the Tongan Islands,
which has been an important Amer
lean naval base. The British are
represented there by a consul The
United States never has had a
consul nor made an effort to repre-
sent its strategic interests in this
fully independent South Seas de-
mocracy.
so Bases in Arc.
At least so American Army and
Navy bases now in use as Jump
offs for prongs of the drive north
ward are included in the projected
area and about an equal number OF
airbases exclusive Of those in Amer
lean use on the Australian and New
Zealand mainlands,
The Anzacs also agreed to pro-
mote the establishment of a South
Seas regional commission" with
England and France and the United
States as members, thus in effect
giving America an opportunity to
join pact directed against the
American strategic holdings.
The most interesting character
istics of the pact are:
| l. 1t ignores the fact that the
United States never has recognized
the Anzac titles to the inundated
former German territories and still
reserves full rights therein under
the Versailles treaty.
| 2. The assumption Is made that
the United States would be willing
to treat with Australia and New
Zealand in a Pacific agreement as
though the British statute of West
minister affected such agreements
giving them two votes plus another
vote for the United Kingdom.
3. The pact is based strictly on
Anzac views and makes no conces-
sions OF any kind to the present de-
pendence of the two members OF
the empire on the American All
Forces and Navy for their present
defense and to Americas future
security.
4. The pact has been negotiated
signed and announced, without, sc
far as is known, any invitation OF
American participation and without
any notice that it was under con-
temptation.
Fear Yanks May Remain
Possibly in line with fears ex.
pressed by an Australian Judge
recently that the Yankees might
remain in Australia-an intention
which this correspondent was un.
able to discern in more than / pei
cent OF the home-hungry Amer
icans-the 32d of the pact's 4.
articles also asserts a right to "con.
troll immigration and emigration ir
all territories within their jurisdic.
ton"
The purpose here, while unclear
may be to attempt to put formal
lock on the ex-German mandates
which, according to their League OF
Nations authorizations, are open to
all nations.
The Anzacs, moreover, assert their
right to dispose at will of all air.
fields on both their own and man.
dated territory, without particular
izing any American interest in the
scores Of fields-14 in a cluster al
a single place in New Guinea
which have been built by American
engineers and are now being used
by the American Air Forces. Fur
thermore, the Anzacs assert that
their nationals must be fully rep.
resented among ths personnel q