A Gesture Of
pp. 36-37 · Read in the full issue
The small islands
Goodwill
By a RIM staff writer
In addition to the important territories of Micronesia, Guam and American Samoa, United States interest in the Pacific Islands has until re
cently embraced a surprising
number of small islands, most of them virtually unknown to the public. But the US is cur
rently involved in divesting
itself of the majority of them, as a practical gesture of good will to emerging Pacific nations.
In a Treaty of Friendship be tween the US and the Republic of Kiribati (formerly Gilberts) signed last September, the US
recognised Kiribati sovereignty
over the following islands pre viously claimed by the US; Canton, Enderbury, Hull, Bir nie, Gardner, Phoenix, Sydney, McKean, Christmas, Caroline, Starbuck, Malden, Flint and Vostock.
In a similar Treaty of Friendship with the Govern ment of Tuvalu (formerly
Ellice) signed in February
1979, the US recognised Tuvalu’s sovereignty over Funafuti atoll (Tuvalu’s main atoll and seat of government), Nukufetau, Nukulaelae and Niulakita.
The US is currently negotiat ing with NZ and the Cook Islands with the aim of renouncing US claims over Danger, Manahiki, Penryhn and Rakahanga atolls, and with NZ and Tokelau over Atafu, Fafaofu and Nukunono atolls.
With the exception of Can ton and Enderbury, US auth ority over any of these islands was never acknowledged in the past by Britain or New Zealand, who also claimed
them, but they have not been the subject of dispute. In 1938 Britain and the US signed a 50-year agreement for the joint administration of Can ton and Enderbury because of their value at that time as air bases.
Under the terms of the new US treaty, Kiribati has agreed to consult with the US should any third party want military use of any of the islands, and not to let any third party use US-constructed facilities on Canton, Enderbury or Hull for military purposes without US agreement. They also agree to co-operate over development of fisheries.
The US has the right to jointly use the Canton facilities with Kiribati. There is an air strip and buildings on Can ton.
With all these these islands excluded, the smaller US Pacific Islands possessions now are: Kingman Reef, Jarvis, Palmyra, Johnston Island, Wake and Midway Islands.
Kingman is 1480 km south of Honolulu, with a deep lagoon, once used for flying-boats. It was annexed to the US in 1922.
Jarvis is a tiny bleak island just south of the equator at 160 deg.
W. long. When the US claimed it in 1935, Britain, who had once had it, offered no objec tion. It has been used as a weather station.
Johnston Island is 1130 km WSW of Honolulu, and was annexed by the US in 1858.
Most of the island is taken up
by a long airstrip. Johnston is
a storage site for chemical munitions. The US took formal possession of Palmyra in 1912, and it is privately owned. Situ ated south of Hawaii it has re cently got into the news because of a suggestion by the US Government that it might make a satisfactory site for the storage of spent nuclear fuel.
Wake and Midway have also been suggested as possible fuel sites.
Wake Island is an atoll mid way between Hawaii and Guam. The US annexed it for a cable station in 1899, and since the war developed it as an aircraft refuelling station. Mid way Island is about 1900 km north-west of Honolulu. The US took possession of it in 1867. It is used as a naval station.