TWO BRITISH SEA BASES.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 May 1916, Page 6

TWO BRITISH SEA BASES.

WILL SHUT :X PANAMA CANAL. Pan Francisco, April 2(i. Great Britain is to control coaling stations, capable of supplying an entire fleet with coal i r fuel oil, at each end of the Panama Canal. This information was divulged in' San Francisco by Roderick, Lamb, of Glasgow, Scotland, as he was passing through the California]! metropolis to Fanning and Washington Islands, in the. mid-Pacific, with the object of planning the establishment of a coaling station and an extensive harbour at Fanning Island. The island is in direct line with the canal, and nearer to it than Hawaii. Fanning Island is, of c urse, a station for the cable running from the Pacific coast to Australia and New Zealand. Jamaica, at the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal, serves as the other coaling station for British ships. The announcement lias created much interest in the United States. Mr. Lamb has been placed in complete charge of both Fanning ar.d Washington Islands. "As far as we are concerned Fanning Island will be the connecting link in the 'All Red Pout;' to be followed by British I \ essel= in journeying around the world," j La:ib stated in San Francisco. i "Fanning and Washington Islands are 1 owned by Raymond Felly and by C. N. Armstrong, weli-known merchant princes of London. Both islands are therefore under the Brit'sh flag. My instructions are to arrange for building a coaling station of unlimited capacity at Fanning Island. Furthermore, the entrance to the, present lagoon of Fanning Island is to be deepened, and after this is done the island's natural harbor will he capable, of accommodating an entire fleet. "Whether the 'British Admiralty will take over the Viarbor and coaling station is a matter of the future. Fanning Island is a very important point—quite as important as Singapore I There is no saying, with a view to its bearing on the Panama Canal, as to what it may develop into. The ishwl is in the direct course of the Panama Canal, and all ships going to or from the ?anai, en route to or from Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, will coal there. "Fanning Tshnrt will furnish both coal and oil fuel. The capital expenditure will, of course, be immense. At present Fanning Island has no harbor works except those unich nave been provided by nature. W-: have to build wharves, quays, docks, and numerous other works. At present Fanning Island is inhabited only by a handful of people. Most of the stores are drawn from San Francisco, via Honolulu. "1 expect to return to San Francisco as soon as I have planned the whole thing to contract for the harbor works ] and coaling station, for San Francisco is 1 to be our base of operations. | "Fanning Island will supply the miss- ] ing link in the British 'AH Red Route.' This route starts from England, thence it goes to Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Aden, Singapore. Australia, Fanning IsI land, the Panama Canal, and Jamaica. I With the exception of the Panama Canal I all these, ports belong to the British." ! Mr. Lamb stated that Pelly and Arm- ', strong purchased Fanning and Washing- [ ton Islands from Father Rougier, the i famous missionary of the South Seas, who recently purchased Christinas Is..liul.