More than once, the idea of shipping everyone from Luta (Rota) to Guam came up during Spanish times. The population would hover around 300 people and some officials felt that these small numbers could easily move to Guam and no effort need be spent on running civil and church affairs on the island.
It never happened under Spain, but it was even considered by the Germans.
A very bad typhoon in November of 1913 which ruined some crops and damaged many homes was the impetus for this consideration. Since Guam was under the Americans, the idea was to bring the 480 Rotanese to Saipan and settle in the Laulau area.
Luta, bereft of people, could then be leased to a private company to make money through agriculture.
But the idea did not push through, and the Japanese took over the Northern Marianas in 1914. The Japanese idea was to do the work themselves (with Okinawans and Koreans) turning the island into a source of income through agriculture but also by mining phosphate.
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