Evening star., 1940-11-02
Japanese Reported
Assembling Big Force
On Hainan, Formosa
Expeditionury Unit Being
Modified From Chinese
And Indo-Chinese Posts
BY EDGAR ANsEL MowRER.

by EDOAh AI>SEL MOWhEh.
As preparation for new step j.:
the establishment of Hakko Ichi-u,
or the eight columns of the universe,
under one roof. the Japanese au-
thorities are assembling an expe-
dictionary force of close to 10000
men on Hainan Island and in the
southern part of Formosa, accord
ing to reliable reports available here
since last night.
These men, it is believed, are be-
Ing drawn from various regions,
chiefly in China. 1t Is to assemble
them that the Japanese are weak
ening their garrisons in Northern
China. and lately, it appears, in
ndo-China, and have evacuated
Manning in Kwangsi.
1t was at first supposed that this
was merely the normal replacement.
But the fact that such a large force
Is being assembled and that trans
ports are being collected to go
places" leads to the conclusion that
something unusual is in the air and
prepare for all eventualities.
This again gives sense to the re-
cent rush of Germans to Japan;
soldiers, sailors, policemen and
technicians.
Japans Planes Inadequate.
1t gives sense to the more recent
German demand for the passage Of
airplane motors through Soviet Rus
sia to Japan. For the present the
Japanese air feet, in large part
Japanese-built, is good enough to
pulverize the almost undefended
Chinese on the ground and capable
of shooting down Chinese pilots,
but it is considered likely to prove
entirely inadequate against British,
Dutch or American flyers flying
British, Dutch or American planes.
The claim in yesterdays Toxic
Nichi Nichi that the United States
Is forcing war upon Japan"
strengthens the suspicion that Jajan
is preparing a new assault. For, to
accuse the enemy of what one is
about to undertake against him is
paragraph one in the new rules of
aggression.
It is for this reason that the
American authorities have decided
to transfer to China 10 planes orig
inally built for Thailand (Siam) and
now waiting in the Philippines. 1t
was reported that these planes
lacked motors. Error: They have
motors, and good ones. and they will
be transferred to China in short
order without the long wait neceS-
sary for planes to reach China from
this country.
1t is for this reason that the ques-
ton of more money for China will
become urgent right after the elec-
tlons and, concelvably, that of new
Pacific bases for the United States.
And, finally, there is renewed talk
of the possibility of the American
Government sending one or two di-
visions of heavy 10,000-ton cruisers
to Singapore, without waiting to
have the Japs move first. Indeed,
with the American heavies at Singa-
pore, 1t is very doubtful if the jap
anese expedltionary force now being
collected and equipped would eyer
move at all.
The reason is one of simple
strategy. Suppose that the Jap
anese were waiting until the Ger
mans and Italians took the Suez
Canal to make an attack on the
Netherlands Indies and Singapore,
force the entrances into the Indian
Ocean, and either attack India or
at least cut communications between
India and the mother country. And
suppose that, to do this, they were
preparing to land somewhere in the
Southwestern Pacific and take over
Borneo, Sumatra, Java and what
not, and ultimately either attack
Singapore or go around it. Their
expeditionary force would need con-
siderable naval protection. The
Dutch and British have in the Far
East no mean force. 1t consists ap-
proximately of the following:
One Dutch battleship; three light
Dutch cruisers; seven Dutch de-
stroyers; fifteen Dutch submarines
of high quality; three light British
cruisers; four British destroyers;
about twelve British escort ships.
The British submarines that used
to sport so playfully in the green
waters outside Hong Kong have
gone elsewhere. But between them,
Britain and Holland have around
300 military planes in the area.
Need Heavy Conveys.
To face this combined force, the
Japanese would, as I said, have to
convoy their troop transports pretty
heavily. But add to this force three
to six American heavy. cruisers with
s-inch guns and the Japanese would
hardly dare to send soldiers wan
dering about unless protected by
full-sized battleships. To detach
battleships from the main Japanese
fleet, while the American fleet In
full force was waiting at Pearl Har-
Dor (HawaiD would be extremely
hazardous and might result in the
Japanese feet losing control of its
own home waters.
Therefore, many believe that the
presence of the American cruisers
at Singapore would be enough not
only to defeat the hypothetical jap
anese expeditionary force, but to
prevent it from ever starting.
These heavy cruisers might first
60 to Manila, it is believed. Our
forces in the Far East consist to-
day Of one heavy, or Glass A, cruiser;
one six-inch gun cruiser, 13 destroy
ers and II submarines, with some
first-class Navy bombers. Strength
ened by few more heavy cruisers,
this force, joined to the British and
Dutch forces, would make the jap
anese admirals hesitate.
1t Is notable that, in anticipa-