Evening star., 1942-01-04

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after taking Singapore and obtaining
access to the Indian Ocean the Japanese
will sit down and tell its European part
ners: "All right, gentlemen, we have
conquered all we set out to conquer, and
the war, as far as we are concerned, Is
over"
The tie that binds the three robber
nations today is like that which united
the bootleg barons of prohibition days.
They fought each other in great gang
wars, but the fight did not begin until
the law was defeated. AS long as there
was danger from that quarter they stuck
together. There is little love lost among
japanese, Germans and italians, but
Nippon knows that if the Nazis are ever
defeated its turn will come mighty quick
ly
Hence, if the Japanese capture Singa-
pore-and they are bound to do so un-
less heavy reinforcements are received,
even at the risk of setbacks in the At
lantic-they will not remain static. Their
naval and air forces, based on Singapore
and the Netherlands possessions, will
press on and attempt to reach the Persian
Gulf and the Red Sea. A gigantic pin
GERS movement then will be organized.
The Allies, with no base closer than
Australia, 1000 miles away can only
look on, powerless to check the Axis
success.
Could Replenish Stocks.
According to the best available re-
ports, Germany and Japan have gaso-
line and oil supplies for war of about
IL to 18 months (the lesser figure for
the Reich, the greater for Nippon). The
same thing applies to rubber Even
though the Dutch destroy the Indies
oil fields, even though the British cut
down every rubber tree in the Malay
Peninsula, the Japanese ultimately can
re-establish production. Revival of rub
Der production under these circumstances
would take about seven years, 1t is true
but resumption of oil production would
not take more than year. With these
two essentials in the hands Of the
enemy, their resistance could continue
for many years.
With such prizes at stake, the Japa-
nese are fighting fanatically and without
regard for human life. They are rush.
ing their forces blindly into battle, bas-
ing their strategy on a quick victory.
Their air equipment is first class; the
equipment Of their land forcestwith the
exception of the mechanized divisions
is relatively poor. The crack Japansse
armored forces, fighting in. Malaysia
have modern armament, but the rest of
the land divisions are using antiquated
weapons.
The Japanese compensate for the lack
of adequate armament by throwing over
whelming numbers into battle-flve to
one, in some cases. Air superiority makes
it possible for them to gain important
terrain, but If this momentum can be
broken it is more than likely that the
wear and tear of the first weeks of the
war will force them to slow down.
Planes Are Essential.
The question Of the Allies reoccupying
territory Japan has conquered does not
arise yet. Their entire present strategy
is based on preventing Japan from
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Singapore. Ninety per cent OF
the Allies chances depend on whether
the Japs can be stopped short of Singa-
pore.
Reinforcements undoubtedly are beins
rushed to Malaga at this moment and
it is to be hoped that they will not arrive
too late. The question is not so much
one of men and tanks as it is of inter-
ceptor and bombing planes. It is ad-
mitted in Washington that II Gen
Douglas Macarthur had received the
hundreds of planes for which he had
clamored since August-planes which
had to be sent to Russia and the British
in the Near East-the japanese would
still be on the high seas, trying to find q
place to land.
Invasion of the Philippines at all was
possible only because the defending force
lacked air power; the lesson Of that in.
vasion has been thoroughly learned ir
Washington and London. What rein.
forcements have been dispatched is {
secret which only a few share, but from
certain statements in responsible quar-.
ters it appears probable that vital weap
ons are now on the way to give the de-
tenders of the South Pacific the strength
to hold Singapore and the Netherland.
Indies.