JAPAN MUST BE CAREFUL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 171, 22 October 1941, Page 6

JAPAN MUST BE CAREFUL

SHANGHAI PAPER'S WARNING "It is not to bo supposed that the Japanese naval and military staffs arc unmindful of the risks of committing themselves to large-scale naval and military operations—for such an attack upon Singapore would invoh-e —more limn 2000 miles distant from their main bases, while a strong American fleet remained concentrated at Hawaii. The presence of that fleet at Hawaii, even if it did not move westward, athwart the direct steamship route from South America would mean that from the moment hostilities started Japan would impose a complete blockadc upon herself from the Pacific coast to the Indian Ocean. Iler shipping would be cut off from all communication except with China and Siberia. Unless she could dispose immediately of the units of the United States licet stationed at Cavite, and oceupy the Philippines, if would be a hazardous venture to move a single transport or merchant vessel south of Formosa without strong naval convoys, and these would not dispose of the risk of bombing from American planes in the narrow waters between the island of Luzon and Hong Kong."—"Oriental Affairs," the wellknown Shanghai magazine.