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6. Midway between Japan and Australia, southern China, the Philippines and Honolulu, Guam's strategic position, enhanced by its physical constitution, makes it a dominant factor in the military future of the western pacific. 

IV. The Philippines.

1. As we left Guan we changed our course about twenty-five degrees until we held straight west and, early on the morning of December thirty-first, we sighted the island of Samar. It was dark and rainy. All were glad to see land. Since leaving Guam we had sighted only one vessel, a naval collier, on the evening of December thirtieth. 

2. we entered San Bernardine Straite about nine, December thirty-first, and to my delight, we were greeted by one of our planes bearing a lettered sign on its side:"welcome General Mitchell." 
This place was about two hundred and seventy five miles southwest of Manila. It was particularly interesting to me to consider that the plane had taken only a little more than two hours and a half to come from Manila while during our campaign for the pacification of the island in 1899 and subsequently, it had taken us day to go this far.