Japan's Mandated

Islands

Denial of Fortifications and Hostile Bases

By John Williams

SINCE the expiry of the treaty of Lon don in December. 1936, by which Britain. Japan and America agreed not to upset the Pacific status quo by de veloping new navy bases, there have been statements made in London and Wash ington that Japan is developing bases in her mandated islands.

Such bases would “fence off” the Philip pines from the U.S. sphere of influence in the Pacific and base for base match those being developed by America at Midway, Wake and other islands in mid and west Pacific. From the Australasian point of view. Japan’s new bases would cut the trade routes to the Orient and create for Japan a fine advance strategy in her pene tration southward, which is the bogey of Anzacs.

The Japanese attitude to these state ments and fears is one of impatient de rision. However, no official statement was made until lust recently when an Overseas Ministry spokesman made a flat denial that Japan is fortifying the mandated is lands or has any intention of doing so.

He added: “Any foreigner can go into the islands and see for himself!”

It is a coincidence, but at this time a wealthy U.S. citizen was anxious to visit the mandated islands in his luxury yacht during a world cruise. Through the U.S.

State Department he made application, but the Japanese Government refused per mission. (And that is the fate, so far as we know, of every application made for permission to enter the Marshall and Caroline Islands.

That mandated territory is absolutely closed against European inspection, and has been for many years. Only a few Europeans have been allowed to go to de signated places. There may be no fortifi cations there: but there are aeroplane bases, submarine shelters, and large stores of oil fuel—Ed. “P.T.M.”).

The Japanese official agreed that Japan is anxious to thrust an airline from Japan down through her mandated islands. In deed, the Communications Ministry in tends to request an appropriation of 2.000.000 dollars from the next Diet, he said, for the purpose of developing man dated air routes.

Loss Of Giant Airboat

Little known to the outside world. Japan has been working on the mandated aerial developments for some time.

More than two years ago, the American Douglas Aircraft Company built a 32-pas senger airboat with a range of almost 3,000 miles. Other specifications: Gross weight, 28.500 pounds: two 1,000 h.p.

Wright Cyclone engines; highest speed at 6.500 feet, 185 m.p.h. In a few words, more or less on the same “lines” as the Empire airboats.

This airboat, after thorough testing, was sold and shipped to Japan with scarcely any mention in the U.S. press. Douglas experts followed and instructed the Jap anese, who frankly intended to copy its best features.

Exactly two weeks after the “Hawaii Clipper” disappeared on the Pan-Ameri can Airways route near Manila, a crew of seven Japanese set off from Tokyo in a “Japanese” Douglas airboat, with the in

tention of surveying a trunk airline through the mandated islands. They had passed the Bonin Islands, all well, but when at a point given as 143 degrees 10 minutes east longitude and 25 degrees 17 minutes west latitude, the airboat devel oped engine trouble—and no more was heard from it.

The Japanese Government promptly dis patched numerous surface craft in search, but no trace of it has been found. Thus ended, tragically, Japan’s first attempt to fly southward.

My Tokyo informant says that this wifi not deter Japan’s determination to push the airline scheme. The Overseas Ministry spokesman was frank about the islands’ varied uses to Japan. Minerals have been discovered, and exports of these to Japar supplement the sugar and fish industries.

The spokeman added; “Fishing and pearl-diving are very im portant in the islands. The Japanese ships in large numbers go as far south as Australia on these missions. They will continue to do so. After all, the seas are free —or they are supposed to be.”

Mr. A. McMillan, of the Samoan Police Department, returned to Apia from N.Z. in mid-September.

Dr. Hridaya Kunzaru, President of the Servants of India Society, who has been in Australia attending the British Com monwealth Affairs Conference, will visit Fiji at the end of October.

Mrs. Isabella Landels, widow of the late Rev. J. D. Landels, pioneer Presby terian missionary at Malo, New Hebrides, died recently in Victoria, at the age of 77.