War Exercises For

U.S.A. Navy

Prom. Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, Feb. 15.

THE entire Pacific fleet of the United States will hold its annual war games in the vicinity of Hawaii, starting April 1.

More than 130 warships and 500 warplanes will be employed. Major ships will include 10 battleships and 10 heavy cruisers.

The navy, this year, is taking ex traordinary precautions to keep away Japanese snoopers. The last time the war games were held in the Hawaii area, in 1938, a long-range Japanese trawler was found wrecked and abandoned on a reef near

strategic Midway Island, which has been developed into a potent out lying navy base. Japan refused to say what happened to the crew.

Evidently convinced that its pre sence is required hereabouts, the navy has permanently assigned ships of the Hawaiian detachment to Honolulu, meaning that 500 offi cers and 6,000 men will have to transfer their homes from U.S. west coast bases to Hawaii. At the out break of war, it will be recalled, some 30 warships were detached from the Pacific fleet, based on the west coast, and assigned to Hawaii, on a temporary status. The de tachment last week completed local war games which were held in ex traordinary secrecy.

Japanese naval spokesmen, in

view of delicate relations between the two nations, do not express their opinions. They leave that to the inspired Tokyo press. Said the “Asahi” recently:— “If the United States thinks to intimidate Japan by its naval plans it is making a big mistake. If it is trying to restrain Japan, it is wast ing time, because at this stage Japan cannot retreat under any pressure whatsoever . . .”