VARIED OPINIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 January 1942, Page 3

VARIED OPINIONS

HELD IN WASHINGTON PROSPECT OF ALLIED AIR SUPERIORITY SENATOR CONNALLY’S FEARS FOR SINGAPORE. DISOWNED BY AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, January 21. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that, following the conference of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Netherlands East Indies, Dr. Van Mook, with Mr Roosevelt, the opinion was expressed in high official circles that if Singapore and the East Indies can hold out for 30 days, the united nations will have air superiority over the Japanese in the south-west Pacific. Questioned as to whether he thought that official Washington appreciated the importance of this area, Dr. Van Mook replied: “I certainly do. There were some doubts in my mind when I first came here, but now I think very definitely that the Government minds both in London and Washington appreciate the importance of the area/’ Mr Hugh Grant, formerly United States Minister to Thailand, when interviewed by the Canadian Press Association in Toronto today, said: “The Allies are bound, to gain control of the air in the Pacific, perhaps within a few weeks, and they will bomb Japan into collapse after cutting her long lines of communication.” After emphasising that these were personal opinions. Mr Grant said he would not be surprised if Singapore fell, but every gain meant that the Japanese were more open to attack. Senator Connally, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the Press in Washington that the fall of Singapore appeared to be inevitable, and would have a tremendous effect. He expressed the opinion that it would be some months before the United States could make its strength felt in the Pacific region. The State Department later issued a statement saying that Senator Connally’s views “are not the views of this Government.” ENEMY AIR ACTIVITY OVER PARTS OF DUTCH INDIES. LITTLE DAMAGE DONE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) RUGBY, January 22. A Batavia communique states: “Slight enemy air activity, was observed over many points in our outer possessions, combined with bombarding and machine-gunning which caused little damage. Celawan Deli was again bombed this morning. An enemy plane bombed ships off the coast of North Sumatra.”