Evening star., 1940-10-05
Singapore Seizure by Japan
Too Difficult, Says Eliot
Mighty and Strategic British Base
Is Protected Also by Distance

which can take capital ship
(Sasebo).
Under these circumstances the
arrival of the United States feet in
the Manila-Ho Kong area, cut
ting of the Japanese from their
home bases and forcing them to
fight under the most unfavorable
condition, would be a mathematical
certainty. Yet lacking this, we are
to imagine the Japanese risking
$4,000 men and 100000 tons of
merchant shipping at such a dis
tance without an escort which could
protect that armada against a
determined attack by the cruisers
already present in the Far East.
Cruiser Division Urged.
OF course this would be made
doubly sure by the dispatch of one
division of American heavy cruisers
to cruise in Australian waters, a
step which ought to be taken with
out delay. We have now disposed
of the overseas expedition, and
shown that such a project must be
preceded by the reduction of Manila
and Hong Kong and further pre-
liminary operations against Borneo
all of which will gain the time
needed for the arrival of our fleet
in the theater of operations, to find
Singapore still comfortably intact.
But how about air attack? Well,
look at Gibraltar. There is a naval
base far more exposed and far less
we'll provided with defensive re-
sources-especially with air defenses
than Singapore 1t is only 800
miles from the Italian base at Gag
liar, not 1900. 1t is still being used,
though frequently attacked. British
bases in the British Isles are still
carrying on, though under assault
from the German air force-a very
different opponent from the Jap
anese air Incorporating from
bases within comfortable flying dis
tance.
Even Malta is still in British
hands and still being used for some
purposes, though it is but so miles
from Sicily. Singapore might be
sporadically raided by carrier
based aircraft or by flying boats,
but since there are 400 aircraft
there and probably as many again
In the British Malay states, one
questions whether the japanese
would find such operations profit
able.
Land Expedition Difficult.
There remains the possibility of a
great overland expedition begin
ming in French Indo-China. The
theory runs like this: That having
overrun all French Indo-China
(not yet accomplished, since the
Japanese are present only in
small part of the protectorate of
Tonki, and not at all in any of the
other four states of the colony the
Japanese will next take over Siam
Gin itself quite job and then,
with Siamese aid, will march down
the Malay Peninsula and invest
Singapore. But the Japanese are
not even over the Siamese frontier
as yet, while the British are very
definitely present all along the
western frontier of that country
They have five divisions in BurrSa
at the moment, can bring more fre.n
India over a sea route which they
control and which the Japanese
cannot possibly reach.
Movement by road from Burma
into Siam, especially toward the
capital, Bangkok, is comparatively
easy, while from Indo- China into
Siam penetration is more difficult
except in the extreme south, which
the Japanese have not reached.
One would imagine that the Siamese
would be much more responsive to
British pressure than to Japanese
and that a Japanese invasion Of
that country could be forestalled
by the British. 1t should be noted
that the British Empire takes Ave