Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
On April 1, 1938, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior granted Pan American Airways a license
to use Abariringa (Canton) for commercial air flights between Hawaii and Australia (Office
of Territories 1963; Degener and Gillapsy 1955). The official designation for Canton airport
was CIS (Wright 1951).
In 1938, two powerful radio transmitters were installed on Abariringa (Canton) (Black 1938).
The military value of Abariringa (Canton) and Orona (Hull) was that they could be small
naval bases with good airstrips (Hobbs 1945).
In 1938, Donaggho (1952 and 1953) visited Abariringa (Canton) as part of the 1938 Line
Island Expedition.
A lighthouse was constructed and named for Captain Edwin H. Musick of Pam American
Airways (Black 1938; Murphy et al 1954). Continuous operation of the lighthouse was
started on November 1, 1938 (Black 1939; Bryan 1974; Schuyler 1939).
In late 1938, Pan American Airways conducted preliminary surveys of Abariringa (Canton)
in preparations for development of airline service there (Anon. 1939e). For details of the
development of Pan American Airways operations on Abariringa (Canton) and the backdoor
politics necessary for this development, see Oates (2003).
In 1939, Abariringa (Canton) and Enderbury were placed under joint administration of the
United States and Great Britain for 50 years (Bordon 1961; Hobbs 1945; Anon. 1939f; 1938
according to Skaggs 1994). For text of agreement see Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
(1939). For a summary of text see Reeves (1939). Negotiations for the agreement took three
years (Anon. 1955a). This was done to facilitate the establishment of an airport by an
American company (Colonial Office 1951). This could be used freely by British and
American aircraft (Quinn 1945).
The agreement was an executive agreement, not a treaty that would have to be ratified by the
Senate (Grattan 1941). U.S. Representative Tinkham called the agreement a political alliance
of far reaching and dangerous consequences and that President Roosevelt was guilty of
collusive action (Mackie 1940). Tokyo was concerned over this example of Anglo-American
cooperation (Leff 1940). Luke (1962) noted that this was the world’s smallest condominium.
Reeves (1939) provided legal and legislative insights into the process of creating the
condominium. Holbrook (1973) noted that under this agreement, the British had basically
lost control of Abariringa (Canton). They also failed to obtain landing rights to Hawaii (prior
to World War II), and they had to allow Pan American into Australia. With the agreement,
the question of sovereignty over Abariringa (Canton) and Enderbury were differed (Maude
1968).
In 1939, the U.S.S. Bushnell completed a surveying expedition to the Phoenix Islands,
including Abariringa (Canton) (Schultz 1939).
American and British colonists occupied separate camp (Hydrographic Office 1940). A coral
slab pier extended into the lagoon from the northeast rim. After the 1938 U.S./British
agreement regarding Abariringa (Canton), the British maintained a small official party on the
island (Anon. 1939c).
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