Evening star., 1942-02-11
Allied Leaders Near
Test Of Withdrawal
Strategy in Far East
jap Fleet May Become
Weapon to Divide Burmese
From AustruIiun Front
BY GEORGE WELLER,

BY GEORGE WELLER,
Foreign CORRESPONDENT of The Star and
Chicago Daily News
BATAVIA, Netherlands Indies,
Feb. II. With the deepening
breaches in Singapore's defenses,
the speeding up of Japan's en-
girdling movement around Bor-
neo, and the broadening aerial
attacks along the entire curve
of the inSular defenses from Su-
matra to the Solomon Islands,
Allied leaders are now nearing
the supreme test of their with
drawal strategy. Hope that Sim
gapore would be by-paSSed now
has fallen and within two days
Japan has been able to cross the
Johore Straits and to assume
control of the northwest part OF
the island.
The JapS have shown that they
can strike at Java as well as Sum-
atra with bombers and fighters. The
only impeachment to fighters carrying
bombs is that they are already
carrying extra fuel tanks which
they drop instead of bombs after
machine-gunning towns. If the
Japs continue to shorten the dis
tance they can replace these tanks
with bombs.
Jap Fleet Might Divide Front.
Should the Japs take Singapore
regardless Of the degree of demoh-
ton beforehand, which has neutral
lied the Northern Malayan air
fields on an average of two days
each-the Jap fleet may be expected
to become weapon intended to
divide the Burmese from the Aus
tralian front. Such an effort, If
successful, would soon be felt in the
Near East for whose preservation
like England's, both the Americans
and British have laid heavy stakes.
The time has passed when rep
resentations of Singapore's offensive
and defensive powers in the A. B. C.
D. scheme could be judged on pub
lished claims. While Americas lack
of prepared bases elsewhere in the
South Pacific is keenly felt, its nom
participation in Singapore is not re-
gretted in view of the fact that an
eight-weeks warning was insuff1-
cient to prepare the landward de-
lenses. The United States has not
entered into the exploitation of
Malaga except as a customer but,
nevertheless, cannot fail to feel the
division of Allied zones by Japan
and the lepgthening shadow of war
implied therein.
Dutch Sternly Defending Isles.
Meanwhile, the Dutch continue to
fight for every inch of ground STAIN
ing with their own blood all they
cannot destroy. British and Ameri-
can psychology has been affected by
having always a rear zone, like
Australia, for another stand. But
the Dutch, with a livelier property
sense than the Americans, already
have backed to the wall. AS at
Amboina, important naval base OF
the eastern isles, silence never
means that the garrison has sur
rendered. Fighting continues, how
ever tightly the defenders may be
pressed. The Dutch are sternly de-
Tending also the white mans obliga-
ton to protect subject races, thus
preparing a basis for respect when
their return becomes possible
Dutch civil servants are under
orders to remain at their posts; they
cannot evacuate even If the soldiers
retreat. Such governmental orders
are unique in the Far East today.
In the contest between the moral
aims of Japanese VS.. Allied colonial
policy, the Dutch, at the present
stage Of the campaign, seem deter
mined to preserve the good master
role similar to Americas good neigh
Dor Pan-American policy, simplifled
by the fact that the OrientaPs deep
est desire is not liberty but pro-
lection.
copyright. 1912. BY Chicago Daily Nevs)