Army Plans Huge Air Base At Strategic Alaska Point; Private Line Cuts Service
By a Staff Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON, July 3—Against the background of Japan's formal refusal to participate in the new naval limitation treaty, American
military preparations moved forward on two significant fronts yesterday. 
The army ordered a commission of three officers to Alaska to seek a good location for a huge air base which defense plans contemplate
establishing in that area as a key point in the first line of Pacific coast defense. The defense line runs from Alaska as a northern pivot,
through the Hawaiian Islands and back to the Panama Canal.
Admiral William H. Standley, chief of naval operations, conferred with President Roosevelt on naval construction matters, purportedly
outlining to the President his desire for early commencement of work on the two replacement battleships authorized by the last Congress contingent on previous action by other naval treaty powers.
The navy believss that Britain has already fulfilled this condition of the law and that they are free now to go ahead, although the keels
may not be laid until after Jan. 1 when the existing battleship building holiday expires.
The question of the size of the guns to be placed op the new battleships is causing some delay in completion of plans. Admiral Stand-
ley himself strongly favors the 16-inch maximum, but the navy is supposedly inhibited from making a final decision under terms of the
new treaty which gives Japan until April 1 to participate in a general agreement among the naval powers to limit the size of big guns.
Japan's Refusal Reported
It is rumored that Japan has already signified to Britain her refusal to participate in this gun limitation as well as in the general terms
of the new naval treaty, but the United States has not yet been informed of the text of the communication made to London last week.
The delay has disturbed the naval high command, which is anxious to complete plans for the battleships in order to be ready to push promptly ahead with construction the moment treaty requirements permit.
The Alaskan air base survey ordered by the War Department is in pursuance of the provisions of the Wilcox bill authorizing establishment of a series of air bases surrounding the United States at unspecified points. No money has yet been provided and the purpose of the survey is merely to enable preparation of detailed plans before a finl decision is made.
Provides for Huge Air Force
The fundamental defense strategy involved is that there should be main bases at key points sufficiently large and equipped to handle the
1000 plane G. H. Q. air force which the army is seeking to build up. With such bases this force could be rushed at a moment's notice in an
emergency to the threatened zone. Such a base would consist of tar more than what is popularly known as an airport.
There would be probably 20 different landing fields within a hundred mile radius of a central point where supplies, repair shops and control    equipment   would    be   located.