The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-13

likely Japanese bases TOT an onen- Sive against the British Far East ern bastion of Singapore and re- ports have mounted that Japanese preparatioIaS in this area are being intensified.
 Americans Ordered Home
 Shanghai, Feb. 13. (UP)-Ameri- can women, children and non-es- sential men in Far Eastern danger areas are beig advised urgently to return home at once in the interest of their own safety and convenience and the natioal security, it was dis closed today.
 The America consulate general ] here circularized Americans, on spe- ] cial instructions from the state de- 1 partment at Washington, and soon : afterward a United Press Tokyo dis 1 patch disclosed that American con- sular authorities in Japan had re- i ceived similar instructions.
 Soon after announcement or the i warning, the Australian advisory ] war council was suddenly adjourned l on receipt of cablegrams from abroad. An emergency meeting of ! the Australian war cabinet, with the chiefs of the fighting services and the British commander-m-chlet III attendance, was called at sydney for tomorrow to consider a Far Eastern situation "of the utmost gravity"
 The advice was given on special instructions from the state depart ment at Washington, it was under- stood.
 At the same time, the Neither lands consul ordered two Neither lands East Indies merchant ships into Manila harbor and 1t was re- ported that other Netherlands Indies ships were being radioed to proceed to neutral harbors.
 Battle Fleet of Japan
 A usually reliable informant nere asserted that Japanese battle heeL had been suddenly concentrated o1l Haiphong, French 1ndo-Chlna.
 Previously Japanese warshlps haa arrived of Bangkok, Thailand, 300 miles from Singapore and British and Australian ai rforce reinforce ments had been sent up the Malay peninsula from Singapore.
 Reports came from Bangkok, Thai land, that the Netherlands East ln- dies government announced at Bata- via that the Netherlands govern ment was exclusively in the hands of the London government. It was added that Japan acknowledged that the position was now very clear.
 Several weeks ago the Nether- lands government had made repre- sentations to Japan against It's manner of conducting alleged econ- omic negotiations with the Nether- lands East Indies government. Japan had in effect rejected these repre- sentations. ,
 Taailand denied that it had granted Japan the use of its air ports but said that negotiations just completed would permit Japan to put commercial planes on the route between Saigon, Indo-C China, and Bangkok.
 Go Home Says Consul
 American Consul General Frank ! P. Lockhart circularized Americans here, giving them the advice to go home.
 He first referred to earlier but non-urgent advice to women, chill dren and non-essential men to leave. Then he said:
 "Now the state desires to renew the advice. This advice is further necessary as precautionary meas ure, given in the interest both ot the safety and convenience of American natoinals and of national security.
 "The state department does not contemplate sending a special vessel or vessels to assist in the withdraw al. It is expected that American na- tionals will take advantage of such transportation facilities as are cur rently available.
 'This consulate general, purusant to the above advices, desires again urgently to invite the attention of American citizens of the above ategories (women, children and non- n-essential men) to the desir- ability of withdrawing to the United States"
 The big Netherlands passenger liner Tjitjalengka, which had left Manila for Hongkong last night, arrived back in the port today and the Netherlands consul said that he had ordered it back on instruc- tions from Batavia. He disclosed also that he had ordered the freighter Tjibesar, on its way from Japan to the Netherlands Indies, to put in here
 Consul Doesn't Know
 The consul said he did not know why his government had ordered the ships to go to Manila. But there was an unconfirmed rumor at Man fla that the Indies government had ordered all its merchantmen to take shelter in neutral harbors and had cancelled scheduled SailingS.
 The United Press correspondent at Batavia told Manila by telephone that there were no reports there that Dutch shipping was being halted.
 Advice to Americans to leave all far eastern trouble areas had been given on orders from Washington months ago but the new warning was of urgent nature.
 Manila had reported yesterday a United States army announcement that about 400 wives and other dt oendents of American army men in the Philippines would leave for home within week