"One of the important problems of the United States in relation to. its Policy in. the Pacific and the Far Fast Is the defence of Guam. "Rear. 'Admiral Hepburn, chainman of a special naval commission, told. the naval committee of the' House of Representatives on January 26 that the construction of a naval base Guam, with 18 to 24 submarines, 48 to 60 naval planes, some army planes, some infantry with artillery and anltaierat gung, reinforced seamen, would ensure defence of the Philippines.
On the previous day the Chief of Naval Operations said the fortifiea-{Hen of Guam would enhance the defensive power of the American and improve the value of the island relative to the feet, so that even if the United States abandoned defence of the Philippines, the fortification of Guar would serve as a check against raid; and that when the island's defences had been brought to perfection it would make invasion of the Philippines impossible. "He argued that If the Philippines were occupied by any other country the United States would lose the route by which it gots its supplies of tin and rubber, from the Netherlands East indies.
Now the fact that American authorities have brought forward there plans at this juncture, when the United States is not jeopardized by any such menace #5 they advertise, merits our most careful attention.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.