Island

"War" On Canton

Chief Disaster to Date Is Shortage of "Spuds"

From Our Own Correspondent.

Honolulu, May 3.

11/ T HLLE officialdom is trying to sur »» round it with the strictest secrecy, the “rival” occupation of Canton Island in the Phoenix Group by British and American units is proceeding happily, and—at least from the British point of view—with a sense of suitable humour.

Pacific Islanders know the self-im posed importance that some civil ser vants give themselves. Well, that applies

to the Government office here that over sees the sending of food and other things to American colonists on Baker, Howland and Jarvis Islands, as well as Canton.

Thicker red tape than ever has been wound around the Canton venture. But, to the great joy of American newspaper reporters, Captain William Martin, widely popular master of the Union Company’s trans-Pacific liner “Niagara”, comes up smiling with Canton facts.

He took his ship to Canton Island last week. Beforehand, casually he had called Mr. Frank Langdale, deputy commissioner in charge of the British Canton camp, on the radio-telephone and passed the time of day, as he does every voyage going north and south.

Mr. Langdale, a veteran at Colonial Office work, keeps his duties and re sponsibilities running smoothly, and with plenty of hard-headed foresight.

Just before signing off, Captain Mar tin asked: “Do you birds want any thing?” Langdale said his camp was 0.K., but, he wmild ask the Americans how they were.

They pleaded for potatoes, any sort of potatoes. They were short, and prized every one as a gold nugget.

Captain Martin got the “Niagara’s” carpenter to knock together a stout raft and, aboard it, there were stacked sacks of New Zealand “spuds”, fresh meat, vegetables, fruits, cakes, biscuits, magazines and newspapers, and they let the raft overboard with a tiny Austra lian flag fluttering atop the lot.

The British and American camps dipped their flags in salute and thanks, and out popped Langdale, accompanied by an American, in a surf-boat with an outboard motor. Proudly they towed the generously-laden raft into Canton’s lagoon, where the goods were eagerly seized by the Americans.

This daylight visit to Canton was a thrill for the passengers, who snapped the unusual event with still and movie cameras.

Probably the “Niagara” and the “Aorangi” will have to drop off more potatoes and things at Canton because, according to announced plans, an American coastguard cutter will not visit Canton Island again until May or June. However, the publicity which has been given to Captain Martin’s timely generosity may put ahead the Ameri can plans.

I will bet that Mr. Albert Ellis will chuckle reminiscently when he reads about radio-telephoning to Canton.

The “Niagara’s” officers state that the British camp includes a refrigeration house, which enables the men to carry ap propriate stocks of essential foods. The Americans lack this amenity. However, the British are sharing their “modern comforts” with the Americans, who live nearby in a tent “city”.

There is much activity on Canton Is land, according to reports. More radio masts have been erected, and prelimin ary foundations are being prepared for the development of the island as a navy commercial air base.

Conversations still are proceeding in

Washington as to what will happen to Canton and the joint British-American occupation. There continues to be a lot of adverse comment in the American press about the increasing occupation by America of far-flung Pacific Isles whiph are forecast to become burdens in time of war.

Apart from that, Canton gives the sabre-rattlers and after-dinner speakers lots to speak about. If Mr. Ellis could hear them . ... I