Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-03-12
THE
ALEuTIANS

l IvlttGS
| This is the ninth of IL articles
titled "Where Are the Yanks?"
The series has been prepared By
the National Geographic Society
TOR The Sunday Star to inform
readers about the regions Dhere
| American serDicenlen are sta
toned. An article appears in
The Star each Sunday.
If the Yanks in the Aleutian Is.
lands wanted to boast, they might
say they fought and conquered the
Japs with one hand tied behinc
them. The tiled" hand was busy
battling nature in a war theatel
that has few equals in physical dis
comfort.
Virtually every report of action
in the June, 1912, to August, 1943
tug of-war that followed the Japa.
nese sneak landings at the western
tip of the chain-mentioned fog
wind and sleet, driving rain and
sudden blizzard.
The Aleutians string out thou
sand miles Of stepping stones from
the Alaska mainland toward North
ern Asia. Attu, at the end of the
line, is farther west of Portland
Greg, than Portland, Oreg., is west
Of Portland, Me.
On a fiat map, the position of the
Aleutians is deceptive. Although
they appear far to the north and re-
mote from Pacific centers Of power
they actually lie between Japan and
Northwestern United States. The
American base at Dutch Harbor
near the eastern end of the group
is about 40 miles south of the
shortest possible flight route from
Toxic to Seattle.
Garden of Fireworks"
The Aleutiam chain made a bat
tlefield that was freakish even
among the fantastic fronts of this
worldwide conflict. It rises from
the sea in five main sets of islands
rugged volcanic formations of fire
and ice, contrasting scenes of desc
lation- with green and Towering
fields. The group has been called
Americas Garden of Fireworks.
Behind the mists and fogs that
usually obscure the islands is I'M
rolled q panorama which includes
active volcanoes crowned by swirl
ing. halos of smoke, boiling springs,
creased and tumbled lava beds.
Disappearing islands are curious
feature of this turbulent volcanic
region. Observation-Disclosures" Bogoslot
has exploded at times into two and
even three sections. Once 1t blew
its top" to throw ashes on settle
'ments 60 miles away.
The Aleutian area Is winter
weather factory where rain, snow
and violent storms are ''manufac-
tured for export" to Canada and the
United States. Cold on the islands
Is not severe, despite the northern
location. Their unpleasant damp
ness and fog result from the meet
ing of warm ocean currents from the
south and the icy waters of the
Boring Sea. Especially dreaded is
the "williwaw," sudden fierce wind
that often sweeps out of the coastal
mountains with hurricane force. 1t
may wreck planes, capsize ships and
scatter piled lumber as If it were
match sticks.
Military operations in the Aleu-
tians were complicated by the re-
gion's peculiar hazards for sea, land
and air traffic. Naval skirmishes
have had to adjourn because of fog
Bombers, timing their blows by care
full weather charts, played hide-and-
seek with the enemy, as fog and
other elements favored first one and
then the other side.
Pilots, now on routine patrols, are
still plagued with low ceilings and
high winds, poisonous gases and
tricky air currents that may rise
from volcanic craters. Spongy
Doggy ground, rolling hills covered
with moss and grass, sharp stones
and volcanic-rock splits hamper
WHICH, dllo 1ooO Vi dFCl, dllo Cdll 1Ol
steel mats on emergency landing
fields. The islands have few good
harbors, and ships passing along
the shores must always be alert for
pinnacle rocks, shoals, hidden islets
and rocky Lodges, treacherous tide
rips and whirlpools.
Russianized Relatives.
Before the war, the lonely Aleu-
tianS were home to around thou
sand inhabitants. Most of the native
Aleuts-swathy Russianized relatives
of the Alaskan Eskimo-were con-
centrated on the major islands near
the mainland. They lived by fishing
hunting and fox raising. Fine bas-
ket weaving added to their incomes
Residents from the States" in
cluded few fur traders, teachers
missionaries and sheep ranchers
The food value of Aleutian grass is
indicated by the success of one
American-owned ranch, which
grazed about $1,000 sheep. A whaling
station was operated on one of the
islands.
When the. Japs seized Attu
Agattu and KSka, American au-
thorities evacuated the scattered
peacetime inhabitants of the Gen.
trail Aleutians. From the United
States came troops and military
equipment to strengthen the Dutch
Harbor base and set up advance
stations in the middle mo Mans
Land"
The Army and the Navy have
Answer to Yesterdays Puzzle.