Possibly, but on a Jap controlled island the radio owner may have feared being executed for espionage had he let the Americans use it. As far back as ‘37 the Japs were known as brutal occupiers.
Agree. But if Earhart & Noonan were in custody, would not have expected their Japanese captors allowing them to mingle with the locals, and where are the guards. As you said they were brutal occupiers. Would have expected Earhart & Noonan to be confined to some very uncomfortable hell hole until the Japanese figured what they would do next.