Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1942. VITAL PACIFIC BASES.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 January 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1942. VITAL PACIFIC BASES.

ALTHOUGH Chinese newspapers, with some vigorous support from their contemporaries in London, continue to allege and to denounce a relative neglect by the Allies of the war in the Pacific, the statement transmitted from Chungking that signs of British and American reinforcements in the Far East are lacking seems to be unduly pessimistic. That some reinforcements are reaching vital Far Eastern areas has been reported definitely. A message from Rangoon on Wednesday, for example, announced that further land and air reinforcements had reached Burma. The inability of the light defending forces available to do more than delay the Japanese advance down the Malay Peninsula admittedly has made critical the position both ol Singapore and of the strategically related territory of the Netherlands East Indies.. It does not of necessity follow, however, that a gloomy view must be taken of the phase of the struggle which has now opened—a phase in ■which, according to the American correspondent, Mr F. Tiltman Diirdin, a determined stand 'will be made “on a shorter front in Southern Malaya, ■where the British will use fresh forces.” It is one of the most unsatisfactory and disturbing features of the existing situation that the Japanese are now in possession of aerodromes throughout much the greater part of the Malay Peninsula. Singapore Island has its own aerodromes, however, as well as powerful ground defences, and in addition, as the military correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald pointed out recently: Singapore is by no means aerially isolated. It has satisfactory lines of approach from outside, as the arrival of Dutch reinforcements has already demonstrated. Behind Malaya lies Sumatra and the whole chain of islands up to Borneo, with ample airfields from which reinforcements may be brought up, if they can be made available. Conversely, should the position deteriorate, these adjacent airfields can be used as bases on which to fall back and from which the fight can be continued. Aerially speaking, Malaya is merely one part of a much wider strategical entity. Since this was written the position has been altered by the continued Japanese advance in Malaya and a limited but menacing enemy invasion of the Netherlands Indies. It is of course obvious that prospects of successfully defending Singapore and the Netherlands Indies must depend largely on the speedy introduction of air and other reinforcements on an adequate scale. The importance of the greatest possible effort to safeguard Singapore .and other bases while the Allies are mustering their naval forces for a decisive bid for the naval mastery of the Pacific does not need to be emphasised.

Provided Singapore and areas in Hie Dutch Indies only less vital can be held against, attack, it will be only a matter of time before Japan will be faced by a tremendous task in attempting to maintain her 3,000 mile line of sea communications with her southern forces. Account has to be taken also of the possibility of formidable land and air attack by Allied forces based on Burma. Everything depends meantime on the continued defence of Singapore and of strategically vital areas in the Netherlands Indies.