Contrary to expectations the U.S. House of Representatives, while passing the rest of the Vinson Naval Base Bill with the overwhelming majority of 368 to four, nevertheless deleted from the measure that pórtion relating to the refortification of Guam by the re-natively small majority of 37 votes, representing about one-tenth of the members who took part in the division. During the bitter two-day debate which centred chiefly on the question of Guam it became apparent that, while it was generally understood by the Representatives that the traditional policy of isolation bore now no solid relation to existing international realities, there appears to have been a desire not unnecessarily to exasperate Japan on the one hand, and the realization on the other that even if the is land were fortified it could not be expected io hold out any very great length of time against a determined Japanese attack. The sentiments displayed by the various speak kers, however, indicated general acceptance of the opinion that Japan's ambitions will tinaly include the Philippine Islands, and that the United States might be called upon io defend them at some future date. It is apparently the opinion of the House that that could still be done without the fortification of Guam, which by some has been looked upon merely as an outpost the subjugation of which by the Japanese in any war they might undertake with the United States would give the latter breathing space within which to perfect their own disposi-lions amongst the other fortified bases of which there will be plenty by the time the Vinson naval plan is completed. The general assumption adopted by those sponsoring the idea was that a Guam sufficiently strong to require the immediate attention of very substantial Japanese forces would, even though it were to be sacrificed, be an important pawn in the commencing stages in any naval war between the two countries. That it would not have very much effect upon the protection of the communications between the United States and the Philippines seems io have been admitted, unless, of course, the United States were able before the island fortress were reduced to have brought the Japanese fleet to battle and defeat.
There is nothing particularly striking in the very frankly expressed belief that in the Pacific Ocean the only potential enemy to be feared by the United States is Japan. The whole of the Vinson Naval Base Bill is very obviously designed to protect the United States against any thrcat that Japan may have in mind ultimately to offer. Where the significance lies is in the attitude of the House towards the question of the future of the Philippines. The question which has arisen since the decision to grant the islands independence after a period of a few years is whether that intention shall be persisted in. Within recent years there has been displayed by a certain section of the Filipinos a fear that, After all, the long desired independence is not so wonderful a thing and that the protection of the United States may be worth all the liberty which Filipino agitators fancied they were to gain by severance from America. That is a school of thought which fully understands that without the protection of the United States the Philippine: would be an easy prey for the Japanese, and what is more a most attractive one, and that for what in me long run may prove to have been merely a very temporary independence they may have bartered their previously more satisfactory state as an American dependency for the status of a Japanese satrapy destined solely for exploitation. It is more than likely that had the American attitude with regard to the future of the islands been decided along the lines which now so many Filipinos would like, the House of Representatives might have reached an entirely different decision. Determination to rescind the independence of the Philippines, had that been decided upon prior fo the introduction of the Vinson Bill might have led to the inclusion of the proposal to fortify Guam in the general scheme. That would then have seemed to be the only logical thing to do, but so long as the legislature of the United States has not decided what shall be its future policy in this connection, the House of Representatives cannot be expected to legislate for what may only be a possibility.
The establishment of nine major naval and air bases in the Pacific, including those bases which reach from Alaska to the Philippines via Midway and Wake Islands may still provide adequate means for the protection of the Philippines. The dropping of Guam, however, indicates the possibility that the House of Representatives was more con-
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