Washington, Mar. 31 The Pacific manœuvres of the United States Fleet may extend as far as Samoa and the Philippines this year, naval officials hinted here yesterday.
The general location of the naval war games will be in the mid-Pacific arena 5000 miles in diameter with Hawaii as its approximate centre. The climax may be anywhere-from the Arctic Circle to the Equatorial islands which are used, as air patrol bases, naval sources said. The manceuvres will include aerial formations and patrols which might be necessary for north hemispheric defence, officials said. The fringe of the navy's activity will consist of only raids and scouting activities, they pointed out, in view of the practice of the United Stated to keep the bulk of the Fleet on the American side of 100 degrees longitude under a tacit understanding that no Japanese Fleet wil remain on the other side, although neither nation is bound to observe this practice.
it was believed that Guam, Johnston, Palmyra and Canton Islands would figure in the aerial operations of the Fleet, since the patrols will seek to locate the "enemy" fleet over the greatest possible distance. It was believed also that the Navy would repeat landing operations at Hawaii—United Press.
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