North-west Pacific

Enormous U.S. Power in North-west Pacific What is Happening Around Hawaii

From Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, July 8.

HERE are sidelights on America’s new defence plans in the North Pacific.

By executive order. President Roose velt has clamped down severe restric tions upon the mighty Pearl Harbour Navy base, near Honolulu, and upon anchorages in Los Angeles harbour, used by the Navv, but which for too long have interested Japanese vessels visiting the port. The new laws certainly have “teeth”: confiscation, heavy fine and imprison ment.

The Navy awarded contracts for con struction of 24 warships, at an estimated cost of 350.000,000 dollars, which includes two 45,000-tons battleships, which will be the world’s largest.

Nine new submarines, with a flagship and workshop tender, on June 2, were as signed to the Hawaii sector, greatly in creasing the potency of Uncle Sam’s underwater striking power—which, in cidentally, prowls into outlying Western Pacific areas much more than most people imagine.

Between now and year’s end, more than 30 naval vessels will receive major over hauls at the Pearl Harbour base, which now ranks as one of America’s best equipped stations More patrols from Hawaii will be made. Aircraft tender “Langley”, usually “at home” in Californian coast bases, henceforth will be stationed in the Hawaii sector. The “Langley” will often be seen at the outlying U.S. bases now being rapidly developed: Palmyra. John ston, Midway and Wake Islands, and the emergency spots between.

Soldiers and sailors must eat. America, as she develops new Pacific Island bases, makes sure that as much food as possible is grown at each base.

An old base, Pago Pago, is to be reju venated. Paul L. Guest, horticulture ex pert of the University of Hawaii, is to make a three months’ study of desirable crops for future cultivation, and the most advantageous cultural methods, in American Samoa.

On June 28, another 15 of the latest navy patrol bombers were flown in for mation from the factory, at San Diego, California, to Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, a 2,700 miles flight, which the Navy aviators now do faultlessly almost with their eyes shut. Regardless of the precision of these latest aerial monsters, the authorities, safety first, had some 12 Navy ships sprinkled along the route—just in case.

If you are wondering why America is making all this extra effort in the North Pacific, you may find some answers in “The Menacing Sun” by Mona Gardner.

In this new book, Miss Gardner, who was a newspaper reporter for 20 years in the Orient, tells a lot of home truths.

Americans Busy On Midway

Island

Honolulu, July 21.

AMERICA means such serious business with her plans, to make her section of the North Pacific impregnable against attack, that former “lonely” is lands, upon which a man had or.ly to step to become a “hero”, to-day are be coming cluttered up with human beings.

Midway Island, west of Hawaii, is a good example.

Midway is being so hastily converted into a 2,000,000 dollars submarine, mine craft and navy air base that to get the job done on time (within the next 12 months) to-day there are some 250 men living at Midway.

The latest addition, some 40 nen, reached Midway in the suction dredge “Vega”, which was towed all the way from California.

Midway consists of two islands, one be ing inhabited. But it is only 1.4 sq. miles in area, so that makes the persons per sq. mile fairly heavy.

Putting On The Pressure

IT was reported from Washington on July 14 that the eight-hour working day rule is to be suspended on the

construction of naval and aviation bases at Palmyra, Johnson and Midway Is lands in the Pacific, and at Kodiak Is land at Sitka, Alaska. President Roose velt has decreed this “since the estab lishment of the bases must be completed at the earliest possible date.”

Mr. Ken. Bridge. Assistant District Officer at Maprik, Northern New Guinea, arrived in Australia by the “Bulolo” on August 10 on leave.

A son was born at Namanula Hospital, Rabaul, on July 26, to Mrs. Nancy Doyle, wife of Mr. C. R. Doyle, Aropa Plantation, Kieta, New Guinea.

Mr. G. A. Hitches, who has been head master of the Fiji Primary School in Suva since its inception in 1932, has re tired owing to ill-health. He shortly will return to England.