Japanese Urgently Need Phosphates

American Attacks on Nauru Island

THE frequency with which the Ameri cans are bombarding the phosphate island of Nauru, with planes, with light naval craft and—around December 10—with battleships, is directing atten tion to the conditions there, Nauru (Pleasant Island) is almost on the equator. Although it measures only about eight square miles, and has only some 1,700 natives, it is important and valuable, because it contains enormous and valuable deposits of high-grade phosphate rock. In 1920, the League of Nations gave Britain a mandate to gov ern Nauru la former German island): and Britain, Australia and New Zealand became jointly responsible for it. An Australian Administrator, Lieut.-Colonel F. R. Chalmers, was there when war came in 1939; he was there when the German raider bombarded the phos phate-working installation on December 27, 1940; and he was there when the Japanese came.

There are three valuable phosphate islands in the Pacific—Nauru, governed by Australia: Ocean Island, 180 miles eastward of Nauru, headquarters of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (British Colony); and Makatea, away over to the east in French Oceania.

Before the war, the output of phos phate rock from Nauru and Ocear Islands was about 1.224,000 tons annually; and of this Australia got 800,000 tons, New Zealand 300,000, Britain 60,000. and the balance went to Japan Sweden and Finland. The Makatea out put was about 100,000 tons, and most bf this went to Pacific markets, especially Japan..

ONE of Japan’s most urgent needs is phosphate. Before the war, she seldom imported less than 1,000,000 tons per annum. Japan has no phos phates herself, and she was able to get only about 100.000 tons p.a. from her Mandated islands. For the rest, she went to Makatea, and anywhere else that phosphate could be bought. Apart from Russia, the world’s largest outputs of phosphate rock come from United States, Tunisia and Morocco. The Pacific out

put ranks fourth.

When the Pacific war came, Japan was cut off from her usual phosphate sources; and, as her agricultural need for this fer tiliser is paramount, the situation must have given Tokio some serious thought.

It is now possible to hazard a guess as to why the Americans have been giving so much attention to Nauru, and appar ently by-passing Ocean Island, which is between the Gilbert Islands (where the Americans now are established) and Nauru. It may be that the Japanese have been trying to work the phosphate deposits on Nauru.

From immediately after Pearl Har bour, Ocean Island and Nauru were fre quently bombed. European personnel were withdrawn from both islands about March or April, 1942, and Japanese moved in soon afterwards. The follow ing men volunteered and remained behind, on the two islands, to take care of the natives, and the mechanical installations;— On Nauru: Lieut.-Col. Chalmers (Ad ministrator), Dr. B. H. Quin, Mr. A. P.

Lloyd, Mr. F, F. Harmer, Mr. W. H.

Doyle.

On Ocean Island: Mr. C. G. F. Cart wright (Government Secretary) and three others.

It was reported, 18 months ago, that demolition work was carried out on Ocean Island, before the withdrawal, so as to make the equipment useless; but there was no report of similar demolition on Nauru. The German raider crippled part of the cantiliver loading system; but Nauru was producing and shipping phos phate at a great rate in 1941.

On the other hand, the Japs may have installed airfields on Nauru, rather than on Ocean, and this may have gained the attention of the Americans. There are some valleys and extensive coastal strips on Nauru which could easily have been made into airfields; whereas Ocean Island, a hump-backed mass of broken rock, and lacking coastal strips, would not be easily convertible.

The fact remains that, under present conditions, the Japs must be desperately short of phosphates.