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s i and 
iment 
7 
Settlement To Be Contiii- 
ued Indefinitely; Isle 
Considered Observation 
Center 
By JULIUS EDELSTEIN 
(United Press Staff Correspondent) 
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22.—De- 
partment of Interior officials told 
the United Press tonight the U. S. 
“Colonization Settl e m e n t” of 
Howland, Baker and Jarvis Is¬ 
lands will be continued indefi¬ 
nitely. 
However, it was revealed that 
the Bureau of Air Commerce has 
completed activities in connection 
with the islands, 
although the De¬ 
partment of In¬ 
terior employes 
wil1 continue to 
mi send to the air 
-*JC V-*-» / 
aerial 
bureau 
ST** 
weather infor- 
immmk 
mation gathered 
by the colonists. 
Officials said 
that reports of 
K. Campbell abandonment of 
Baker’s colony and restriction of 
activities at Howland and Jarvis 
are unfounded. They said the is¬ 
land occupation is maintained 
more for the sake of a potential 
observation center instead of an 
air base. 
informationllacking 
Air commerce officials lacked 
informations as to possible pend¬ 
ing plans to use any of the islands 
as stepping stones in commercial 
transoceanic routes. They pointed 
out that when the United States 
participated in a spectacular ocean 
race with reportedly British col¬ 
onization ships two years ago, it 
was not planned to use the islands 
immediately as air bases. 
It has been reported Britain 
colonized similar islands several 
hundred miles from Howland 
soon after the United States ac¬ 
tion. British islands and reefs also; 
are being used for observation' 
purposes. 
The^ Bureau of Air Commerce 
completed construction of a land¬ 
ing field at Howland, including 
three runways, and prepared 
0 v 
** _ . - -i,- l V » 
; .. ,. fi ;-v- \ -t ' £ . 
X- , h * ’ 7 ■ £ * -V 7 ‘ i: J . ' ‘ :-i 
..'5 .. v i: /■ « J* ' :• > M.: . , 
U it 
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rough landing facilities at Baker 
and Jarvis. 
AIRFIELDS COST $837 
• V- ' < 
Robert Campbell of the Bureau 
of Air Commerce, who spent sev¬ 
eral months op the islands, re¬ 
vealed that airfields on the three 
islands cost the bureau only $837, 
including $537 for gasoline and 
oil and $300 for food. 
The low cost was made possi¬ 
ble because the Coast Guard fur¬ 
nished the Cutter Itasca to trans- 1 
port colonists and equipment, the 
army furnished condemned camp¬ 
ing and living equipment, old 
equipment, old tractors, and fur¬ 
nished food at cost prices. 
The Department of Interior paid 
administrative costs. The Bureau 
j of Air Commerce conducted aerial 
j surv eys, superintended building 
of the landing fields by WPA 
labor. 
Campbell said that runways on 1 
Howland, goal of Amelia Earhart! 
Putnam and Fred Noonan when 1 
they were lost in the Pacific, are i 
gmong the finest available any .; 
He said observers and radio 
men on the islands are compiling 
weather observation data for use 
in mariners* map£. 
Officials sai,d al^ three islands 
will be useful as observation posts. 
In addition they possibly will be 
used as radio beacon stations for 
non-stop transpacific flights. 
---■•■-4..*.__ .. 
r Y r \ 
federal bird preserve, hence no 
legal means of ridding the island 
of the clouds of screaming, cir¬ 
cling, swooping birds exists. Un¬ 
afraid of human beings, they stand 
by the hundreds in thick clusters 
I over all parts of the island. 
Coast Guard and other authori¬ 
ties^ who stood by for Amelia Ear- 
and hit x7 C , h 3nd afiain in 
and July futilely sought, to . clear 
Howland of the birds. The pop- 
ping noise of two ancient army 
best fJLT the is]and formed the 
nest frightening agent. » 
Cost of the weather and other 
observations on the three islands 
comes high. Each “colonist,” who 
$4 ner d7 “ period > * P^ ' 
?4 per day, glV en transportation 
nd supplies. Fresh water must 
anH Pi l 0Vlded ' Ex P ensi ve upper air 
nd general observational equip¬ 
ment deteriorates rapidly in the 
equatorial heat. 
' DATA invaluable 
tfofm^ tai T d by the col °msts 
1 inestimable value, however 
since the vast equatorial region 
funding the islands is virtuai- 
hrouTh t°h Wn ' FeW Ships pass 
in and ouT^ storms swirl 
AmolA T Ch ?\ S ’ navy ael '°iogist 
Arnold True told, the United Press 
ment WO n U f ld recommend establish¬ 
es? in 7* Jf ther observation 
post in the Palmyra group. p a l- 
myra is but 40 miles fr P m Pal 
Kingman Reef base used by Pan 
to“ht AirWayS “j tS 6Xplor - 
Wj'A. 
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