The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-08-22
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Washington, ID. G.
FAR EAST POKER GAME

rOr perspective Ou thG PASScAs
South Pacific tug-of-war between
Japan and Britain, it is well to re-
member that for years Thailand,
then known as Siam, was pawn
in the power game Of the bigger
nations of the Pacific.
In this game the United States
had a hand. For years, American
financial advisers have been at
tached to the Thailand throne, one
of them having been Francis Sayre,
son-in-law of Woodrow Wilson, now
high commissioner Of the Philip
pines.
He wooed Thailand on many &C.
casions, including the ornate recep-
ton given the former king Of Siam,
who as Supreme Arbiter Of the
Ebb and Flow Of the Tide, Brother
of the Moon, Half Brother of the
Sun and Keeper of the Twenty-four
Golden Umbrellas" came to WASH
ington in the days Of Herbert
Hoover and was regally entertained.
The British were even more in
terested in the Siamese. British
advisers for a time ran the king
dom's government, trained its
army, supplied the one or two ships
for its navy.
But half a dozen years ago the
Japanese began preaching the doc
trine of Asia for the yellow man,
and Siam for the Siamese. That
was how the name came to be
changed to Thailand, nationalistic
token of home rule.
Reason for Japan's interest in this
small country was not nationalism,
but the fact that a slender finger
of land, about as wide as the 18TH
mus Of Panama, called the Isthmus
Of Kra, is controlled by Thailand. A
canal through this isthmus, connect
ing the Indian ocean and the Gulf
of Siam, would give a new short
route from the Pacific to India, rem
der Singapore impotent, and cut
three days from the trip between
Indo-C China and Burma.
Such a canal would leave Singa-
pores giant guns and expensive
naval bases guarding an out-of-date
sea highway, almost as unimpor-
tant as the Straits of Magellan after
the Panama canal was built.
That is one reason the British are
ready to fight to keep the Japanese
out Of Thailand.
BRITISH INVASION PLANS
First British plan for an invasion
of the continent (since the start Of
the Russian-Nazi conflict) was a
landing in Holland. This, it was fig
ured, would get sympathetic support
from the Dutch; would create Sec
ond front requiring Hitler to divert
part of his troops and airplanes
from the Russian front.
The original British idea was to
have the United States cooperate in
a landing force. This, however,
scarcely got beyond the informal
suggestion stage. It was immedi.
ately and emphatically vetoed, first,
for political reasons; second, be-
cause Roosevelt did not have the
power to send troops abroad; third,
because of the scarcity of shipping
to transport and supply an Amer
lean army overseas.
Since then, none Of the proposals
for creating second European
front has contemplated any Amer
lean participation.
The second idea discussed was a
British attempt through Spain and
Portugal. This also scarcely got
beyond the discussion stage, because
it was figured, first, that the Ger
man army probably could take over
Spain by the time British troops be-
gan to land; second, that even if
a footheld could be obtained, q
march across the Pyrenees to
France would be too difficult.
The only part which the United
States might have played in such
a plan was to send food ships with
which to help win over the Spanish
population.
Norway Heavily Fortified. "a
Since then another plan for pos
sible British invasion Of Norway has
been discussed. However, this also
is difficult. The Nazis now have 10
divisions in Norway; more impor-
tant, they have been working fever
isi1y with characteristic German
thoroughness to fortify Norwegian
ports and possible invasion points.
The chief factor holding back the
British, however, has been their
lack Of .armored equipment. Al
though the British army is about
1000, 900 strong, only about $50, 900
men are fully armed with modern
equipment. And the most serious
defect in their equipment is the lack
of tanks. -.s1s "a ..5A
Vast numbers of tanks were lost
by the British at Dunquerque, a loss
which has not yet been replenished.
And no invasion of the continent
could be successful without a pow
erful tank force.
Also, despite the strength of the
Nazi army on the Russian front, q
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