Implications of President Roosevelt's Statement

How America Will Police the Pacific Clear Implications of President Roosevelt's Statement

THE United States intends to police the Pacific Ocean for a considerable time after the end of this war; and expects that the United Nations will join in this task, “so that Central and South America will be as safe from attack from the South Pacific as North America is going to be from the North Pacific."

The statement made by President Roosevelt oh August 13 gives the Ameri can viewpoint very clearly. America wants the assistance and collaboration of the peoples of the British, British Dominions, French and Dutch people in the Pacific Territories.

But, whether she gets it or not, the United States is going to make herself responsible for the protection of both the Americas against any possible Asiatic aggression. And that involves the pre sence of the United States in the South Pacific, as well as the North Pacific.

Until 1942, the Stars and Stripes waved over only one small South Pacific Terri tory-Eastern Samoa. After 1945 (when Japan probably will collapse) American control over other islands south of the equator may be expected for many years, as part of the defence set-up.

The Americans do not seek territorial aggrandisement, but they do want places which they can use as bases. They probably will be allowed to take over cer tam isiands south of the equator, from the British and French, which can supply naval and airways facilities, but which have little economic value—islands like Pago-Pago Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand could make a score of such islands available to the Americans, without being a shilling the poorer. nno understand the American viewpoint, X it is necessary to quote the cognate paragraphs of the President’s state

ment. He had explained the importance of the Alaska-Aleutians-Siberia line in developing trade between North America and Asia and Russia; and he went on: “We understand at last the importance of the Hawaiian Islands. It is important that we have other bases, forward bases, nearer to Japan than Hawaii.

“The same thing is true of the defence of all the American Republics from Mexico past the Panama Canal and all the way down to Chile.

“There are hundreds of islands in the South Pacific, which bear the same rela tion to South America and the Panama Canal as Hawaii bears to North America.

“These islands are the possessions of the British Empire and the French. They are important commercially just as they are for defence, for they lead to New Zealand, Australia, the Dutch Indies, and the Southern Philippines.

“The self-interests of our Allies will be affected by fair and friendly collaboration with us.

“They will gain in national security.

They will gain economically. The des tinies of the peoples of the whole Pacific will for many years be entwined with our own destiny.

“It is an unfortunate fact that years of proof must pass before we can trust Japan and before we can classify Japan as a member of the society of nations which seek permanent peace and whose word we can take.

“In removing the future menace of Japan to us and to our continent, we are holding out the hope that other people in the Far East can be set free of the same threat.

“The people of the Philippines never have wished and never will wish to be slaves to Japan, and the same thing is true of the peoples of Korea—that ancient

kingdom over-run by the Japanese half a century ago—the peoples ol Manchuria and all the rest of China.

“The same thing is true of the peoples of Indo-China, Siam, Java, and even the most primitive peoples of New Guinea and of the so-called mandated islands (Marshalls, Carolines and Marianas) out of which we are in splendid process, of throwing the Japanese.”

THE casual observer, looking at a map of the wide Pacific, may say; “But why should the Yanks want bases all over the place, and especially in the South Pacific? It is 7,000 miles across the Pacific, from the coast of Asia to the coast of the Americas—surely that is protection enough!”

Planes can cross the Pacific to-day in 35 hours. The appearance of the flying bomb has altered all conceptions of inter national defence.

The Pacific Islands stretch half-way across the Pacific, from the eastern coasts of Asia and Australia to the archipelagoes of Hawaii and French Oceania. Between Hawaii and French Oceania, and the American coasts, there are 2,200 to 3,000 miles of empty blue water. But an enemy could advance from the Asiatic mainland, across all those islands, to within 2,000- 3,000 miles of the Americas; and that would be near enough to attack by air and flying-bomb.

Seen in the light of these facts and their implications, the determination of the United States to police the Pacific Islands—preferably with United Nations’ sympathy and co-operation—can be understood and appreciated.

THOSE who are responsible for the administration of the South Pacific Islands (British, French, Austra lians, New Zealanders and—although they are so far west as to be almost out of the picture—the Dutch) should now begin to adjust their somewhat un imaginative political minds to the new set-up outlined by President Roosevelt.

It is coming, whether we like it or not.

They would be wise to like it. The Americans are going to remain in the South Pacific for a long, long time.

After all, the Americans saved the •South Pacific Territories from the Japs.

Next to the British, there are no people whom we would rather see in these Paci fic Territories.

Association with the Americans, in the way indicated, will assist the British com mercially (.definitely) and culturally (probably), and it will not weaken the ties between Britain and her Colonies and Dominions; and it will be of great benefit to the French Colonies.

WHAT form is this American-United Nations collaboration in the Pacific Territories likely to take? In the opinion of this writer, this is what will happen; The United States will retain control of the Marshall, Caroline and Manana Islands, and establish bases there for purposes of defence. The Philippines, having been freed from the Japs, will soon be given complete independence; but United States probably will retain defensive bases there —and perhaps one or two in British Malaya and in the Netherlands Indies. These bases, with American ownership of Hawaii and the Aleutians, will give the United States complete control over the North Pacific.

There may be a North Pacific Regional Council to deal with necessary adjust ments affecting commerce, transport, air and radio communications, and political relationships generally between the vari ous countries and Territories.

SOUTH of the equator, the United States will seek naval and air defensive bases at several points between the Marquesas, in the extreme east, and New Guinea and the Nether lands Indies, in the west.

There almost certainly will be a South Pacific Regional Council, to non out differences and difficulties between the British, Australian, French, New Zealand, Dutch and United States territorial administrations —any other system would lead to bad feeling and confusion.

There will be administrative changes in several of the South Pacific Territories, Generally, however, they will retain their present national affiliations; but they will all be subject, in some degree, to the co-ordinating authority of a South Pacific Regional Council.

The accidental death of M. Maurice Schweb, a former member of the d’Ar genlieu “Cabinet Civil” in Noumea, has been announced in London. He spoke English well, but with an American accent, having lived a long time in the USA. His wartime duties took him to Australia, and in January, 1942, High Commissioner d’Argenlieu sent him to America on a trade mission to purchase wartime requirements. Later, he was attached to the Free French headquarters in England.

Mr. W. W. Bolton, well-known British resident of Tahiti, celebrated his 86th birthday in June by a coastal hike of about 40 miles. Needless to say, his health is excellent.

The Rev. Dennis Taylor, of the New Guinea Anglican Mission, recently came to Brisbane for medical advice. Arrange ments are now being made for his return to Papua.

A son has been bom to Flight-Lieuten ant and Mrs. Tim Nicholls, at Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. Flight-Lieutenant Nicholls is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Warne Nicholls, of Sigatoka, Fiji, and was one of the Fiji RAF contingent who did their training in Rhodesia.