Guam The Gibraltar Of The Pacific

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13307, 5 April 1941, Page 8

Guam The Gibraltar Of The Pacific

Isolated from the United States j and completely surrounded by a veritable shoal of Japanese mandated islandsi is Guam, the most western of American possessions in the Pacific. It may well prove to be a vital spearpoint in the defence, through offence, of American policy in the Far East. The United States acquired this island from Spain during the SpanishAmerican war in IS9S. Its caijurie had an opera bouffe quality. The American cruiser Charleston vent bravely into Port Apra, its guns thundering. The Spanish commander rowed hastily from shore, climbed to the Charleston’s deck, bowed low and apologised because his shore batteries did not have sufficient powder to return the “salute.” The explanation that the guns meant war and not a diplomatic courtesy astounded him, but he had revealed the island’s defencelessness and there was no recourse but surrender. For many years Guam lay forgotten. Then there came the development of the Pan-American Transpacific air route, when its possession converted the island into’an essential link of the commercial air system. To-day its strategical value is even more important, for it is situated only 1,3 50 miles from Yokohama, thus offering a serious air and naval menace to the heart of Japan itself. Largest Guam is the largest and most populous of the Marianas islands—numbering over 4,000 —which otherwise belong to Japan, although technically they are under a mandate which she received in 1919 after Germany, their former owner had been deprived of them along with the Carolinas and Marshall Islands. Guam lies 3,300 miles west of Plonolulu and 1,500 miles east of Manila. The island covers an area of 210 square miles with a population of some 21,000, of which only 500 are Americans —Naval marines who act as a local garrison. The territory is pdministered by the United States Navy. For the last two or three y*ars there has been considerable discussion in the United States as to the proper fortification of this outpost. The Navy Department holds that although Guam has never been developed as a formidable base, its geographical position gives it considerable valjue as a naval base. It has been estimated that to turn the island, into a formidable would cost at least £ 40,000,000. This would provide a suitable harbour and4ja.se for .American warships and submarines, along with airfields for a striking force against Japan itself.

Natural Harbour Fortification experts consider the island’s rugged formation, its natural harbour at Apra, its volcanic and coral structure, a foundation for an “impregnable” base. It could neutralize, it is elaimed, the Japanese mandated islands, many of which have been developed as actual or potential aeroplane or submarine bases. Other experts, mostly belonging to the political school which is opposed to any distant Pacific policy, think these assertions are doubtful. They point out that Guam is an economic liability of the United Stajtes, that it would have to be supplied by long sea lanes, thousands of miles long, and that ’ its position violates the cardinal principle of economy of force. The islands, objectors, say, is a sea salient difficult to defend. Surrounded as it is by Japanese islands, it would offer a concentrated target to raiding planes, whereas only dispersed targets would be available to American planes based there.

Closer Contact The present war, however, with its demonstration of the importance of offence in war as being the best means of defence may well induce the government of the United States to develop the fortifications and striking power of Guam. If the island is developed into a strong advanced naval and air base in the Pacific then it must inevitably bring the United States into much closer contact with affairs in the Orient. Already it is clear by, the talks that are now proceeding between Britain, the United States and Australia that the whole of the Pacific is being regarded as a sphere of American interest and that a halt must now be called to any further appeasement to Japan’s “New Order” in the Far East. Guam is also of importance to two other important American interests —Hawaii and the Philippine Islands. Hawaii with its vital bastion. Pearl Harbour, which protects both the Panama Canal and the Pacific coast of the United States has two great weaknesses. These are a lack of selfsufficiency in foodstuffs, and its present lack of outlying and advanced bases to protect it. To-day great, flying boats fly regularly in long single “hops” from Hawaii to Mid- ' way, then on to Wake Island, both American possessions, and the next, run is to Guam. Midw'ay is a bleak sandy islet with a coral-studded lagoon. It could, however, in the hands of Japan, offer a threat to Pearl Harbour which ought to be reasonably safe from air attack. Thus to make Pearl Harbour safe it is now realized that the outlying islands must also be fortified to provide a screen of defence round this vital naval base. Certain Duties As far as the Philippine Islands are concerned, America still has certain duties connected with them.

Under the agreement with the Philippine Government the United States retains the right to maintain naval and fuelling stations there. The Filipinos are now, as they see the red light of menace from Japan, eager that the United States should remain to protect them, and there is every indication that America, realizes this. They know now' that American safety hinges on a line —a long line —drawn from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands right down to South America and even to Australia. All along this line there must he aerial and submarine patrols which wall establish American Naval predominance in the Western Pacific. Guam, in fact, is of cardinal im-. portance to all the American democracies. Its loss would endanger the Philippines and consequently the whole of the Western Pacdfic Thus there is every reason to believe that Guam, a distant, unknown island, will shortly become an American “Gibraltar.”