Evening star., 1941-12-17
The Drive on Singapore

Malaga as the British imperial forces
seek to stem the japanese drive en-
phaSizes the Importance of this
phase of the great Pacific war.
Americas natural interest in the
Philippines should not obscure the
magnitude of the stakes involved in
the Malayan campaign. Indeed, the
lesSening of attacks on the Philip
pines may mean the japanese will be
content to immobilize our forces
there while the main Japanese stroke
is delivered at Singapore. This would
accord with what may be presumed
to be Japan's chief objective in
Southern ASia-the Dutch Indies.
Possession of the Dutch Indies with
it's limitleSS natural resources, eSpe-
cially oil and rubber, would give
Japan its most vitally needed raw
materials. That vast empire spreads
along the Equator for 5000 miles.
But its heart is the island of Java,
and this seat of Dutch power cannot
be attacked in force while Singapore,
Britain's Gibraltar in the Orient,
bars the way. Singapore is tre-
mendously fortified against an as
sault by sea. However, it can be
invested by land, and it is on that
side that the Japanese threat is
developing.
The Japanese armies have a long
and hard road to travel before they
can come within striking distance Of
Singapore itself. Fully 400 miles Of
steaming jungles, dotted with forest
draped hills and mountains, lie be-
tween the Thailand border and the
coveted metropolis Yet the elon-
gated Malay Peninsula is not un-
broken Wildnerness. 1t is traversed
by two railway lines, and the west
coast is fairly open country where
the jungle has been largely cut away
for rubber plantations and surface
worked tin mines. That would seem
to be the logical path for the invader.
In fact, 1t is there that the main
Japanese pressure is being exerted
and has already forced back the
British defense some fifty miles. The
original japanese descent by sea at
Kota Bharu on the east coast was
presumably to gain possession of its
excellent air field as well as to get
grip on the west-central railway for
f1anking penetration.
The japanese are not dependent
on sea communications to sustain
their attack on British Malaga. Their
possession of Thailand gives them a
good through railway from their
main base in Indo- China clear down
the peninsula to the Malayan border.
To assure this railway the japanese
are already evicting the British from
their hold on Tenasserim, the tip Of
Burma which splits the peninsula
politically in twain. With no rail
or road communications between
Tenasserim and the rest of Burma,
the British forces there are already
evacuating to avoid being cut off by
japanese thrusts from the nearby
railroad. 1t is thus probable that
the Japanese soon will have secured
their flank and rear against any
British diversion while the campaign
against Singapore Is being waged.
Ever since the japanese menace
became evident almost year and a
half ago, Britain has been pouring
troops, planes and mechanical equip
ment into Malaga. Those troops,
mostly crack British, Australian and
Indian units, are giving fine ac-
count of themselves. But the Japa-
nese likewise seem to have sent their
best soldiers into the fray, and the
little brown men are repeatedly ad-
vancing with fanatical fury, pressing
through jungles and swimming
crocodile infested rivers under with
ering fire and with seeming disregard
Of losses. They also appear to have
at least local air superiority.
The situation is thus frankly Sc
rious. Reinforcements are being
rushed all the way from India to
Australia, supplemented by Dutch
colonial forces. The vital need OF
holding Singapore at all costs is
crystal clear. And, while the cam
paign is still in its early stages, there
is no time to lose.