Dare U.S.A. Fortify

Guam ?

Nations Suspicious of Japan's

Plans AUTHORITY to prepare Guam as a stronger air and naval base vs be ing sought by the executive in the Con gress of the United States; and the plan is the subject of fierce argument among defence experts.

“What is required if fortifications are really proposed there,” said one, “is that they should be on a permanent basis, otherwise the United States will merely have an outpost which invited easy at tack by Japan in case of war.”

Some of the other experts regard Guam as a “mad imperialistic proposal”.

One official report filed said it would be a foolhardy military and diplomatic blunder. It lies too deep in prospective enemy territory and too close to innum erable enemy bases in the Carolines and Marshall Islands, and its creation would certainly be provocative.

On the other hand (said the Washing ton correspondent of Sydney “Sun” on 'February 4) if major fortifications are planned on the basis of a final cost ex ceeding £20,000,000 (sterling), something that Japan could not capture, these criti cal naval men admit they would be over ruled by the development of a first-class change in the whole situation of Pacific defence. (The real issue is discussed in an article on page 3.) It was officially announced in Tokyo on January 12 that Japan viewed “in the gravest light” the report that U.S.A. would fortify Guam.

Improvements —Not Fortifi

Cations

It was stated late in January that President Roosevelt personally approves the suggestion to spend £1,250,000 on “improvements” at Guam in the next four vears. But he says that the proposed

works— dredging the harbour, building a breakwater, hangars and barracks—do not necessarily constitute the “fortifica tions” feared by Japan.

Japanese Base Near Australia

Commenting on Japan’s inauguration of an air service from Tokyo to Pelew Islands, westward of Guam and only 1,500 miles from Darwin, the London journal “The Aeroplane” says:— “Thus there is a Japanese air base within bombing range of Australia and handy to New Guinea, where there is only a small white population unable to put on even a show of defence.

“Air attacks on Queensland, from New Guinea, would be easy.”

Japan’S Plans In Mandated

Islands

A news despatch from Tokyo on Janu ary 30 said: The Navy Minister’s recent declaration in the Diet that the Navy is ready to maintain Japan’s supremacy in the Western Pacific and enforce a new order in the Far East against all-comers, is be lieved to be connected with the man dated islands. Well-informed quarters consider that the position is gravely inter related with Australian naval, air and defence.

German Air Base In Pacific

Claimed

GERMANY is building a Pacific air base in the Caroline Islands, ac cording to an extraordinary state ment made in the United States Congress on February 1 by Mr. Melvin Maas.

He made his statement to the Naval Affairs Committee of the House of Rep resentatives. He declared that he had private and authoritative information that Japan, which holds the League man date over the islands, had given Ger many permission to establish a base.

The Caroline Islands are in north-west Pacific near Guam.

Mrs. Martha Thomas, of Levuka, Fiji, died in January, aged 50.