Samoa Prepares

Airports And A Defence Force

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Apia, Mar. 20.

THE establishment of airports in West ern Samoa has now been decided on, and two separate landing places for sea and land ’planes respectively have been selected and surveyed.

The landing-place for land planes will be on the Vailele Plantation of the Gov ernment-owned New Zealand Reparation Estates, near Fagalii Beach, about 5 miles east of Apia. Several thousand coconut palms are to be cut down on the old former German plantation.

For seaplanes, the stretch of the coast near Mulifanua, 20 miles west of Apia, has been found most suitable, and at present beacons are being erected and other preparations made.

It is not known at present, whether the airport is to be used for commercial aircraft only, or whether militarv and naval planes are to be stationed here also.

The American naval base at Pago Pago and Rose Island is to be considerably ex panded, especially for the use of aircraft.

American Samoa is the southern pivot of the American naval defence line, Alaska-Hawaii-Samoa.

The formation of a European Volunteer Force for the defence of Western Samoa has been authorised. An armed force is to be raised among British residents of the Territory for the purposes of internal police, and the defence of Samoa. A ship ment of rifles, machine-guns and ammu nition has arrived.