HOW SAFE IS SINGAPORE?

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 11, 16 March 1938, Page 3

HOW SAFE IS SINGAPORE?

DEFENSIVE STRENGTH “ \ VALUE OF SITUATION / . DISCUSSION IN ENGLAND LONDON, Doc. 22, Since Sir lan Hamilton, a few days ago, told bow he, with a brigade of once “captured” the island of Singapore (which is only 25 miles long with a maximum width of 12 e miles), there has been a 'good deal of discussion among interested persons as to how strong • Singapore really is, now that so many millions sterling have been spent on its defences. Is it reasonably safe? is a familiar question. If the answer is important to Britain, it is vital to Australia. . Of all those who have written about this great harbour, 3lr. It. T. Barrett, who has spent the past 11 years in Hongkong, and who is familiar with the Imperial problem in the Far East, has written a most interesting article. Details Not Disclosed!. Discussing tiie question, “Is Singapore .impiegnanlo-Ur. Barren, writing m “Great Britain and the Far I'xist,’ notes that it is not surprising that the Defence Department is giving little away with regard to details of the armaments, hut the assumption is that the first thing to do was to make the place strong enough to heat off any possible attack. He also observes that all that is disclosed is that the garrison consists of between 6600 ami 7000 regulars; the monitor Terror, with a couple of 10-iil. guns, is stationed at Seletc-r, the new naval base; and the Air Force consists of two squadrons of living-beats and two squadrons of bombers. There are two landing .fields at Seloter and an immense air port outside Singapore city. Two new B.A. F. squadrons, according to Reuter, are shortly to he added. The naval base was recently stated, Ivv Reuter, "to bo within lour months of completion, but, according to the naval estimates for 1937. £(540,€00 was to be spent in the current year and another ,£3,369,000 had been earnia Heed.

Strategic Position. Singapore’s main strength, in Air Barrett's words, lies in its distance iroin any possible toe. Japan is 25U0 miles away, Canton is 1-300, Manila 13-10, and Tormosa. 1000. AUauian and the extreme south ol China are about ll(K) miles distant. 'Any operations against Singapore would, therefore, have t ( , be conducted at immense range and through seas strewn with islands, easily convertible into temporary outposts by the defenders. Singapore would he on the flank of any attack on India, and if operations were conducted by Japan against the Dutch East Indies, Japan would have to do it at long range. If we sought to prevent her, Singapore would present a grave menace. Equally, Singapore would he on the flank of any ( >1 descent upon either. Borneo. New Guinea, or Australia. Jn operating fleets and aircraft in. the Alalayaii seas, we should be fighting at infinitely closer range to our big sources of supply than Japan. Singapore is 1445 miles from Hongkong. and. iiv these clays of speed, well able to succour that outpost. As a base of operations against Japan, Singapore is, of course, useless, because it is too far off.

Amazing Strength. Mr. Barrett states: “Singapore, flat and fertile, with red roof’s and. white walls rising among banks of trees, js slightly reminiscent of Southampton,, on a clear summer day. Unlike Gibraltar, Aden, and Hongkong, it gives no impression ol strength. At is a man-made fortress. but the natural line of defence of Selotcr is a, wide belt of mangrove, swamp. This is utterly impenetrable, and any attacking force must keep to the roads. “North of Singapore, the Federated Malay States stretch for. 3(H) miles. There is a good railway, and road connection with Penang, a good harbour, and secondary naval and; air stations, 360 miles distant, on the west side of the Alaliiy Peninsula. “Singapore can draw the Joed and the labour she requires from her own hinterland, and for military stores and reinforcements -she has an. excellent supporter in Penang. Colombo and

Calcutta are both about 1600 miles away, or a. good deal closer than Japan. “Few places in the world fulfil so strikingly the rewuirements of a strategic base.”