Washington, Feb. 23.
House of Representatives today gave an overwhelming standing vole of 368 to four in approving the $52,000,000 Vinson Naval Base Bill which will establish ten major naval and it bases in the Pacific, including Midway and Wake islands, A coalition of isolationist Republicans and Democrats defeated the provision in the Il calling for the fortification of Guam Island, 1,200 miles south of Japan, but joined the Democratic majority in overwhelmingly approving all other portions of the bill.
The defeat of the Guam provision came after bitter debate regarding the advisability of extending United States defences too far to the west and possible consequences of antagonizing Japan through the construction of a strong base so close to Tokyo. Despite the defeat of the Guam proposal, however, the bill passed today would give the United States a new and powerful defence line reaching from Alaska to the Philippines via Midway and Wake islands, both of which will be greatly strengthened.
Senator David I. Walsh, Democrat of Massachusetts and Chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee, predicted today that the Senate would uphold the House's refusal authorize harbour and airport de Velopments at Guam, Senator Walsh said. the "emphatic vote in the House on Guam question ends it for the pre~ sent"
'Pacific base appropriations a3 approved today were: Wake Island, $2,000,000; Midway Island, $5,351,000; Johnson Island, $2,084,000; Palmyra Tsland, $1,110000; Kodiak Island, $8,741,000; 'Sitka, 'Alaska, $2,084,000; Pearl' Harbor, "Hawaii, $2,821,000; Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, $8,800,000; Ton-Point, Ore,, $1,500,000, The original Vinson Bill provided for the appropriation of $5,000,000 10 begin the fortification works on Guam Toland, One of the major factors in the defeat of the provision was the eliot in some naval circles that it would be impossible to convert Guam Into a strong enough base to warrant the heavy expense. Navy Department experts, who urged fortification of the island to afford the Navy an advanced observation post, admitted before Congressional Committees that Guam. probably could not be defended more than afew days regardless of the extent to which it might be developed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.