The Bag of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd 1940. U.S.A. IN THE PACIFIC

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 7, 2 September 1940, Page 4

The Bag of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd 1940. U.S.A. IN THE PACIFIC

THE news that the United States is to spend 5,000,000 dollars on improvements to Pearl Harbour, its Hawaiian naval base, and that naval contracts include projects at Oa.hu, Wake and Midway IslarftV?, is another indication of the increased interest taken during the past few weeks in the Pacific arena. This follows shortly upon the reported fact, stated to come from reliable sources, that the United States has delivered a new and drastic warning to Japan that a time of reckoning must come if Japan persists in her present course in East Asia. There can be no doubt that dunn* recent weeks the American attitude has stiffened. Several facts have caused., this. Contrary to the fear that must have been rampant in the United States following the collapse of France, Britain has shown in all probability the United States may depend upon her navy to defend her Atlantic shores for some time to come. This would give America time, not only to perfect, with the aid. of Newfoundland and Bemuda bases,, her Atlantic defences, but also enabling her to give a less divided attention to the prevention of Japan from continuing her southwards policy in the Pacific. The concord regarding the defence of North America with Canada has no doubt strengthened ties with the British Empire, and though the United States Government still suffers from the disability that political leaders are afraid of compromising themselves before the November elections, there are signs of a growing realisation that the term Western Hemisphere: used so largely iit defining America's defence programme, may at some future date.be extended to cover a very much wider sphere than at present. The journalists' delegation which has just been visiting New Zealand and Australia left the latter country declaring their keenness that Australians should grant reciprocal rights to America to establish an air base in Australia, adding-that they saw in Australia a new world power linking the peoples of Canada a,nd Australia. Such a project is not very tangible at present, but it is a fact that the effective protection of the American coast requires not only Hawaii, but also northern and southern lines of defence. The northern line is provided by Alaska with the fortified Dutch harbour lying off its coast, and the southern by the less developed stepping sones of Johnston and Canton Islands and Samoa. However, America in the event of utilising these islands in her defence system would require "anchor" bases in Australia and New Zealand, and the argument that the possession of bases in suitable parts of these countries would be an invaluable South Pacific bastion of the United States defence: system has been of late steadily gaining ground.