Evening star., 1938-01-30
Singapore Base Is Fitted Out
To Withstand Months of Siege
Immense Quantities of Fuel Oil, Food.
stufs and Other Necessities Being
Stored to Meet Energencv.

airdromes within the precincts OF the
new base. not to mention the colossa
civil flying field recently opened nea,
the city Of Singapore. which Is, oi
course, military potential Of thu
first order.
Further. published statement.
plainly indicate the immensity of the
scale on which oil fuel. Iron ration
foodstuffs and other necessities are
being stored on the island against an
emergency.
The significance of these far-reach-
ing measures is almost too obvious tc
be underlined. Singapore, in brief
has been transformed into a forward
defensive position designed to hold out
for weeks and months pending the
arrival Of relieving force Sooner
or later, in all probability. it will be-
come the home Of great battle fleet
but, for at least three more years. the
components of such a fleet are not
likely to be available.
Those years constitute a danger
period of which the British govern
ment is fully aware. and that is why
day and night shifts are being worked
on the Singapore Notifications, as well
as on the fleet of new battleships
cruisers and so forth now under con-
struction at British shipyards
BY risking trouble in the North Sea
ana the Mediterranean. Britain even
today could send six battleships tc
Singapore, and she would do so with.
out hesitation if the Far Eastern sit
uation became acute. That would
leave her with a very narrow margin
to meet possible complications in Eu.
rope. although there is a strong feel
ing here that Germany is not quite &C
ready to pluck Japanese and italian
chestnuts from the fire, as those
countries seem to imagine.
Forces Only "Show" Unit.
1t must be emphasized that the
forces actually to be engaged in the
Singapore maneuvers are only a
snow unit. so that any comparison
OF their fighting strength with that O,
Japan's total air and naval forces
would be beside the mark. For ex.
ample, in a real emergency, the Brit.
ISM fleet in the Far East would auto.
matically be reinforced by the Aus.
tralia and New Zealand SQUADRON.
and, eventually, by battleships and
cruisers from home and foreign
stations.
There is reason to believe ths,
British naval authorities are much
less perturbed about the general stu.
ation than the radio propagandists o1
Japan and Italy would have the worlc
believe. In the worst event, Britain
Is prepared to defend by her own un.
aided strength her interests in thu
Pacific. even If circumstances com.
PEELED her to fight a delaying or rear.
guard action. Nor does she believe
that Germany, inventor Of the yellow
peril slogan, would stab her in tn.
back while such a fight was raging.
The cooperation of the Unitee
States would be hailed with acclama.
tion goes without saying. It must
however, be spontaneous and profferec
without solicitation.
Next months exercises at Singap pore
are designed as challenge to no.
body. but merely as a demonstration
or preliminary rehearsal of the fac
that the British Commonwealth can
in the last analysis, look after itself
much as it would appreciate the CO.
operation Of kinsfolk and friends whit
have valuable interests or propertie.
in the Western Pacific zone.
(coryrieht. 1898. BY the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)