What Is Happening in North

America's Front Line

What Is Happening in North Pacific

From Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, July 14.

VT'EAR by year the U.S. Government * pours millions into improving the army and navy defences of the Hawaiian Islands which are the keystone of the American plan within the Pacific.

On the island of Oahu, of which Hono lulu is the capital, is Schofield Barracks, the largest army post possessed any where by Uncle Sam, and Pearl Har bour, described in America as the world’s greatest naval base.

Along the west coast, from Pearl Har bour, the navy has created a new strategic base, Lualualei, a great amphi theatre in commanding hills which now secretes tremendous ammunition dumps and a series of short-wave radio stations.

In furthering their co-ordinated efforts on Oahu, the army and navy this week announced the opening of a new strategic highway, which links Schofield Barracks with Lualualei. This road has been sur faced to take the latest high speed mobile units such as coastal artillery guns, anti aircraft guns and searchlights. Oahu, like all modern defences, is depending less upon fixed forts. Great highways, graded and banked for maximum efficiency, are networking the island.

This new road out of Schofield is reckoned to be the equivalent in combat efficiency to 10,000 additional troops.

The American defence plan, of course, is aimed at the Orient, and at Japan in particular. More and more, especially since the London Treaty lapsed, America is extending her front line towards the Orient.

Latest move is the approval by Con gress of $2,000,000 to be spent in im proving and extending facilities at Mid way and Wake Islands which, until now, have been referred to as “stops” on the new commercial air route from America to China.

Channels 200 feet wide and 18 feet deep are to be blasted from the open sea into the great lagoons at Midway and Wake, so that at least 100 navy airboats may anchor at the same time at each island. The channels, too, will admit aircraft tenders and other navy craft used in maintaining operating bases.

Navy patrol airboats (the latest have ranges up to 6,000 miles non-stop) periodically use Midway and Wake lagoons, and care is taken that they are not seen there by passengers in the trans - Pacific commercial air clippers, which pass through weekly.

To handle more of these airboats, the lagoons at Wake and Midway are to be extended. That is, coral heads too close to the surface will be blasted away.

Mr. H. P. Melville, of the N.S.W. Edu cation Department, will sail from Sydney by the Morinda on September 18 to in spect the Norfolk Island public school.