ISLANDS RACE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 11

ISLANDS RACE

New Centre Of Interest In Pacific CHRISTMAS ATOLL United States Plans For Colonisation By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received March 23, 8.45 p.m.) New York, March 23. Christmas Isle has become a new centre of interest in the growing race for Pacific insular possessions among the major maritime Powers, says tlie. Honolulu correspondent of the United Tress. Tlie United States has already made plans to colonise Christmas Isle and may claim it despite Britain’s proclamation of sovereignty of December 28, 1919. There are also persistent rumours that Western Samoa and Apia may be turned over to Germany in a “British colonial deal.” There are definite indications that the United States navy regards Christmas Isle as having considerable strategic importance from a military as well- as a bommercial viewpoint, since Christmas Harbour is capable of development for warships. Christmas Isle, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, is more than 100 miles in circumference, and has one of the largest lagoons in that sea. Discovered by Captain Cook in 1777, it was annexed by Great Britain in 1888 and attached to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1919.

U.S. FLAG HOISTED

Canton And Enderbury Islands Honolulu, March 22. The coastguard cutter Taney has returned after raising the United States flag on Canton and Enderbury Islands. The British flag, already hoisted, was not touched. Contact was made with the solar eclipse observation expedition sent out by the British Geographical Society to Enderbury Island. The members of this expedition were not surprised at the arrival of the Americans because they had heard President Roosevelt’s announcement of the annexation of the islands by radio. Friendly relations were maintained. Hawaiian youths were left behind as weather observers.