Congress was advised that Midway slond. requires accommodations for two submarine divisions and Wake slond provision for one submarine division.
Regarding the establishment of fur~ ther submarine bases, the report urged that priority be given to Guam, Puerto Rice and the Panama Canal Zone, in the order named. Obervers pointed out that priority. was. given the Pacific base, partially because holds the key in the defence of the: Philippines.
"Guam at present is defenceless Jagainst a determined attack by any First class Power with bases in the Western Pacific," the report said. "With adequate' air and submarine protection, @ base at Guam would be made secure against anything short for a major effort on the part of any Jprabable enemy-—an effort, that is to leav, of the same order and magnitude that would be required to establish footing on the Philippines.
"As long as Guam existed as a strong air and submarine base, hostile operations agains, the Philippines would be a precarious undertaking. [To an even greater extent Guam would greatly impede, if not actually deny, extensive naval operations of a hhostiie nature to. the south, thus! greatly simplifying our naval' problems should the fleet be called upon for operations in the Far East."—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.