Evening star., 1942-02-01
Help AssuredIy Will
Come, Commander of
Defenders Asserts
Ey the Associated Press.

weary British 1mper1alS gave up
the fight in Malaga today, with
drew into the hot, tight little
island of Singapore and prepared
for a long and wasting siege in
a desperate bid to hold this last
inch of the Malay barrier until
reinforcements arrive to reverse
the tide of japanese conquest.
Our task is to hold this fortress
until help can come, as assuredly
1t will come; this we are determined
to do" said a proclamation of the
Singapore commander, 1t. Gen. A..
E, Percival, who called for ruthless
steps against the enemy both within
and without.
ANY of the enemy who sets foot
In our fortress must be dealt with
Immediately" he declared.
The enemy within our gates must
be ruthlessly weeded out.
There must be no more loose
talk and rumor- -mongering.
"Our duty is clear: With firm re-
solve and fixed determination we
shall win through.
Enemy Superiority Cited.
For nearly two months our troops
have fought an enemy on the main
land who has had the advantage
of great air superiority and con-
siderable freedom of movement by
sea.
"Our task has been to impose
losses on the enemy and gain time
to enable the forces of the Allies
to be concentrated for this struggle
in the Far East.
To-day we stand beleaguered in
our island fortress"
The final retreat of Australians,
Scottish Highlanders, British, Sikhs,
Gurkhas and Malayan militia was
carried out last night from a line
which had extended across the
Malay jungles from l8 to 40 miles
nOrLn OF uQlS lSldQQ.
The transfer of this force of un-
disclosed size across Johore Strait
was aided by units of the British
Navy and under the protection of
the air force, but the Japanese did
little to interfere, probably because
the sudden withdrawal was sur
prise to them.
CThe British radio said war
ships played an important part
In the evacuation while the
r. A. F. flung a protective
umbrella overhead" The broad
cast was heard by N. B. c.
Causeway Destroyed.
Then when the last truck and
tank had rumbled across, the mines
which had been set under the i4alf-
mile long causeway connecting the
island with the mainland were set
of and chunks of the structure were
hurled into the sky.
Defending the approaches to this
fortress on which Britain has
lavished s4O0,000, 900 in recent years,
the British in seven weeks of ex-
hausting warfare had beat a retreat
of $50 miles through the swamps,
streams and rubber groves of
Malaga, regularly outf1anked by the
inf1ltration tactics of Japanese
snipers landed on each coast each
time a determined stand was made
on a natural line of defense.
The Japanese now have all the
rich rubber and tin resources of
Malaga and the question was
whether they can also reduce this
fortress and thereby win a free pas
sage into the Indian Ocean and a
strong position from which to attack
Java, the citadel of the Netherlands
Indies
The fall of Singapore would permit
Japanese air and naval forces to
sweep into the Gulf of Martaban
and possibly choke off not only the
source of supply for the Burma road
to China, but also undo the work
which has been accomplished in
building up threat to Japan's flank
In Burma
Try MacArthur's Stunt.
BY withdrawing into this island,
~ miles long and IA miles wide, the
British were attempting to do what
Gen. Douglas Macarthur was doing
In Batan Peninsula In the Philip
pines and what they attempted un-
successfully to do at Hong Kong.
Johore Strait on the north is one
half to a mile wide, and the jap
anese must cross it.
The British for days have been
preparing for the attack, moving
all civilians out of a mile-wide belt
along the strait.
Hidden pillboxes dot the low
mafirshy shore, mines fill the sur
rounding waters, fortified islands
RudIO Ullc CllUl dllCCS W tllC oIl dAl
and artillery occupies commanding
positions.
From four main airfields and
smaller hidden fields reinforced
r. A. F. with Hurricanes, Blenheims
and Buffaloes is able to give con-
siderable air protection.
Singapore itself, "the City Of the
Lion" located on the south side
of the island, is out of the imme-
diate land battle zone, but its poly
got population of Orientals and Eu-
ropeans of more than 100000 persons
has suffered many hundred dead
and wounded from Japanese air
attacks already.
Caches of food, fuel and ammuni-
tion are buried in the low hills, and
extensive reservoirs normally supply
sufficient water.
Singapore's harbor on the south
side affords docking space for ships
running the air blockade which the
(See SINGAPORE. Paee A-l)