Rapid Preparation Of Seaplane Base At Canton Is.

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, June 26.

A CONSTRUCTION crew of 75 Ame ricans is making rapid progress on the air base at Canton Island, for use by Pan American Airways planes on the projected Hawaii-Canton-Noumea- Auckland service.

In the great 5-miles lagoon at Canton, the construction gang is dynamiting a runway through the coral heads, 8,000 ft.

long and 2,000 ft, wide. Minimum depth will be 7 ft.

The channel into the Canton lagoon is too shallow to permit entry of regular vessels, so much time is being consumed, moving some 5,000 tons of equipment from lighters into the lagoon, and on to new AmeriCan CamP » a - One important job is the distillation of water suitable for “domestic” uses

from the ocean. Little rain falls at Can ton Island.

The P.A.A. village is some 200 yards from the camps of the British and American official “colonists”, who have been resident at Canton Is. for two years, This nhotoaranh—the first nublished tions—shows the equipment lying on the inner beach, which faces the large la goon which will be used by the clippers.