U.S. PLANS IN PACIFIC

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23283, 20 August 1945, Page 5

U.S. PLANS IN PACIFIC

Retention Of Island. Bases Wide Recommendations By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright <7.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Aug. 18. The House Naval Sub-commit-tee in a 300-page report, recommended the United States to retain a group of Pacific islands including Soote, at present claimed by Britain, France and Australia. The committee recommended that the United States (1) Should have at least dominating control over the former Japanese mandated Islands of the Marshalls, Carolines, Marianas, Izus, Sonins and Ryukyus. (2) Should be given specific substantial rights to sites where American bases have been constructed on islands of the Allied Nations. (3) Should be given full title to Manus, Noumea, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal and other sites of American bases on islands mandated to or claimed by other nations. (4) Must not permit its Pacific bases to relapse into unpreparedness. (5) Should maintain the main feet bases at Pearl Harbour. Guam, Saipan, Iloilo, Manus and Noumea, secondary bases at Midway, Okinawa, Subic Bay and Paia us, and fleet anchorages at Majuro, Kwajalein, Eniewtok, Truk and Espiritu Santo. The committee urged the retention of operational conditions at all landplane -bases now under Allied control, the development of Mactan Island in tahe Philippines as a main naval air base, the maintentance of land and seaplane bases at Puerto Princesa, Tawitawi, Gulmeras (in the Philippines) and Okinawa, strategic sites in the Bonins, Kuriles. Aleutians, Pearl Harbour, Midway, Caonton, Johnston and other locations in the Hawaiian Islands. also Samoa, Tontouta, Magenta, Espiritu Santo, Efate and Guadalcanal. . The committee said: ‘We have restored peace in the Pacific almost single-handedly, and if we are charged with the responsibility of maintaining that peace we must be given tn« authority and the means. Pre-war mandates mean little to the enforcement of world peace if the mandatories are incapable of maintaining and defending the islands.” The report was based on a 20.UUU miles inspection tour by members of the House of Representatives.