Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954), Friday 19 February 1937, page 7


VITAL ISLANDS BAKER AND HOWLAND Lack of Flora and Water NEW YORK, February 17. The Associated Press interviewed Dr. Dana Coman, Rear-Admiral Byrd's associate, who also completed a sur- vey of Baker and Howland Islands to determine methods of bringing full vegetation to them in the interests of water supply and other features which would make of the areas ade- quate airway landing stations. He said he searched for seed grasses and trees which will restore to the islands' capacity to maintain normal flora, which would produce a rain sup- ply and provide water. The problem will, however, take a decade, possibly a generation. At the present time, Hawaiian boys of the Kamehameha school are main- taining the wireless station and work- ing to clear the areas of Howland of debris to provide landing facilities for Mrs. Amelia Earhart, who is to fly to Australia. There is a possibility that they may also lay concrete run- ways in time for her arrival. He intimated if she succeeds in finding the island, which is 1,400 miles from Honolulu, it will be a great feat of navigation. The visibility is ex- tremely limited, due to the lowness of the island, which is barely 20 feet above the sea. Thousands of frigate birds and boobies are a real hazard of landing and take-off. The wind, which is a prevailing Easterly, may also hamper her. He believed, how-ever, that with normal luck, she should achieve her desire.