Rome, Feb. 23.
"It would be simple-minded to believe that Japan would not fortify Hainan Island if the United States, France and Great Britain fortified Guam, Indo-China and the regions north-east of Singapore," Signor Virginia Gayda's "Giornale d'Italia" asserted today.
This influential newspaper emphasized the importance of Hainan's strategic position for Japan and for the general development of the situation in the Far East.
The construction of a military and naval base on the South China Sea island; it stated, would reduce to next to nothing the military importance of Britain's. stronghold at Hongkong, would isolate the French settlement in the leased territory of Kwangchowwan, would exert direct pressure upon Indo-China and would neutralize the Singapore base.
It emphasized that it is not certain Japan would take the decisive step of arming Hainan unless the U.S., France and Britain took such action in their possessions.
"The democratic nations are now checked in the Far East and ju this y, the Far Eastern situation is exerting an influence upon European and Mediterranean problems," Signor Gayda's organ concluded.—Havas.
Significant in view of President Roosevelt's plans for "hemispherical defence" to protect the Western Hemisphere from foreign invasion was the provision for $9,138,000 for the fortification of San Juan, Puerto Chungking Prepares for
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