COPY DEPARTMSNT 07 STATS, WASHINGTON, August 3, 1939. The Honorable George Holden Tinkhara, House of Representatives. &y dear Mr. Tinkham: I have your letter of July 87, 1939, in which you refer to a map of the Faoific Ocean published in December 1936 by the Rational Geographio Sooiety on whioh Christraas Island carries the notation "United States and Great Britain," and request to be inforued of the situation with respect to this island, as you doubtless are aware the National Geographic Society is not e goYernmental institution and its maps are not official publications of this Government. According to the Department's informa- tion, Christmas Island was discovered by Capt. James Cook, a British subject, on December 24, 1777. Capt. John Stetson, of New Haven, Conn., reported having landed on Christmas Island from the American ship SQUATBR on February 15, 1825. The island has been occupied at various times by /merican citizens and British subjects. It was first occupied by Americans about 1858 and was bonded as an American guano island on ueoeraber 29, 1859. Christraas was included in the lists of guano islands issued by the Treasury ijepertment. See in this connection 'core's Interuptional Law Digest, volume I, page 567. You may also desire to read the discussion of Christraas Island commencing on page 572 of that volume and also to see the /exohange r exchange of correspondence referred to therein between the United States and Great Britain concerning this island which is published in the Foreign Relations of the United States 1888, volume 1, pages 713, 713, 727- 726. The island is now reported to be occupied by the Central Pacific Coconut I'lantations, Ltd., a British corporation, under a lease from the British Government which grants the use of the island for 87 years from January 1, 1914. By a British Order in Council dated July 30, 1919, the boundaries of the Gilbert and Sllice Islands colony were extended to Include Christmas Island. No protest in respect to the British Order In Council of 1919 ha3 been made by the Government of the United 3tntes. Sincerely yours, 8RB?Z'i II. ILVCKOTMU