AT A HEAD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1941, Page 6

AT A HEAD

THAI FEARS OF WAR REPORTED JAPANESE PLANS. RELIANCE ON AIR BLITZ & TREACHERY. (Received This Day, 12.25 p.m.) SINGAPORE, November 12. Thai nervousness, which has been clearly observed in Bangkok during the past few weeks, came to a head last night, when an official Bangkok radio commentator called on Thailanders to be prepared for war, declaring that Thailand will be in the war this year or next. He urged heroic resistance.

Observers say that Thai fears obviously are tied up with the fact that the rains have now ceased, and that in a few more weeks the country will be in the condition most favourable for invasion. Despite reports that there are large Japanese forces in Indo-China, observers do not believe the Japanese strength there to be sufficient for a land attack against Thailand. They believe the Japanese technique for the domination of Thailand is likely to be an ultimatum, followed by an air blitz,'in the hope of breaking the nerves of the Thai Government, and, aided by Fifth Column activities, of obtaining an easy capitulation to enable Japanese “protection,” rather than the hard road of military conquest. A Manila message states that substantial reinforcements of American long-range submarines have arrived in the Philippines. The combined American-Dutch submarine strength in the South-West Pacific at present is greater than at any stage of the Far Eastern tension. <