Island ’Dromes

Americans Interested In Equatorial “Dots of Land”

A MERICAN interests are proceeding actively with the plan of establishing trans-Pacific aerial services.

Planes, already, are flying between San Francisco and Honolulu. A line of Islands aerodromes has been constructed between Honolulu and the Philippines, and regu lar services will be commenced at any time. Now the Americans are turning south, preparing for a service from Hono lulu to New Zealand, via Fiji and Samoa.

A fourth Pan-American Airways’ ex pedition to continue the survey of the air route to Australia left Honolulu on Sep tember 9 on board the U.S. coastguard cutter Itasca for Jarvis, Baker, and How land Islands, near the Equator. There are seven Hawaiians aboard to relieve the parties which were left at those islands four months ago to make daily weather reports.

The expedition, which is under the direction of the United States Department of Commerce Aviation Bureau, includes Mr. J. Walter Doyle, Collector of Cus toms at Honolulu; Lieutenant C. W.

Johnson, a navy airman; Captain H. A.

Meyer, who is in charge of the technical equipment; Captain M. B. Durette, with four army technical experts as assis tants; Mr. William T. Miller, of the Department of Commerce, Hawaii; and Mr. A, L. Fullard Leo, the owner of Pal myra Island.

Dr. Dana Coman, owner of the yacht Kinkajou, who has set up radio stations at three American camps on the Pacific islands, will shortly visit Fanning, Christ mas, and possibly other islands. He ex pects Mr. Harold Gatty, the famous American airman, to join him in his tour.

Jarvis, Baker, Howland and Palmyra Islands are all little dots of land, bleak and uninhabited, lying near the Equator.

Until now, they were regarded as of no value, except for some deposits of guano and a few coconut palms. Jarvis seems to be ownerless; Palmyra, a few years ago, was owned by Judge Cooper, of Honolulu; and Baker and Howland are included in the Phoenix Group (British).

Judge J. H. Luxford, S.M., of Welling ton, New Zealand, arrived in Samoa in August to carry out Circuit Court duties.