1948-01-26 — Page 7

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THE CHINA MAIL, MON DAY, JANUARY 20, 1948.

SINGAPORE'S FALL

lague

PERIL AT SEA

Tokyo, Jan. 23. Fighty-seven Inpanese ships totalling 11,000 tone have been a result of striking abandonat or sunken vessels in the inland Sta aria` between Kammon Strait and the Rokuren Islands since the end of the star. This includes arora large ships and 39 smaller filing wessels.

London, Jan. 22. "For some months after the mand as much freedom as pos. formation of General Head-sible, I found I necessary in The secrets of how quarters there seemed to be con- the case of Maloyn, to Malaya fell to

korriket ar the "iderable delay la getting infor-orders that the first line of our tation from England with re- defence was to be the benches. Japanese are revealed gard to lessons of recent opera Previously, except on Singapore for the first time in a despatch published by Air Chief

tons and developments in tacti- cal idean, both as regards the ariny and airforce. though air

precautiong Marshalld

pamphlets 'seemed to arrive regularly soon Brooke-after their issue.

"The Pituation

Sir Robert Popham who was then Commander-in-Chief in the Far East.

This is the story as he tells it of the days be- October 17, 1940 to December 27, 1941.

tween

improved

about July 1941 but we were al ways uncertain whether we were being kept up to date,

Island and Penang, the benches were going to be occupied only by watching posts and the first lines of defence were sled in- Innd. This change involved considerable amount of work defence posts at Mersing, Kuan- and preparation of obstacles and tan and Kota Bharu.

B

"It was found at one period,

obstacles

taking was

up 30

Japanese officials say sunken shipi sent to the bottom by the Allies during the war constitute greater menace to shipping Limited than floating mines. Presi

This feeling of being neglect. was naturally intensified by that the work of preparing the

"I feel however, that ateps from Positions and putting up the distance of London Singapore and the whole post-

should have been taken before the war broke out to strengthen training of the defences tion in this reapeet would have much me that the

northern on the by liaison officers been greatly improved if visits troops was being hampered and

and northwestern siden of St. from the in addition wire generally TC War Office and Air Ministry quired renewing after about six gapore Island. had been made from time to months. Also I was always on "We also had to be prepared i time.

guard against too much reliance for the possibility of a break- "On my arrival in Singapore. in addition to a directive, 1 bad

"This was actually started in upon water obstacles, barbed through in the Merning area two main guides for action: the case of the War Office and wire and pillboxes in care this which would have isolated Pirat that it wan the policy of the first Unison officer arrive should lead to a Maginot Line Southern and Northern Malays

I Majesty's Government to

In Singapore in November 1941. complex, detriment of offensive from Singapore, and this con avond

Jivision sideration affected the siting of I believe it was intended to do spirit. Consequently with Japan am war secially that

the same in the case of the Air of avaliable hours was drawn up depola for stores and ammuni until the Fleet was avaliable our policy in the Ministry. It would have been allowing a proportion for train- tion. Therefore, preparations Ear East should be to rely a great help had this been done in a proportion for renewala, were made to enable a force to

and the balance for the primarily of air power in co. 12 months carlier,

now be supplied if necessary by the work. As far as was practicable line of communication running junction with sach naval forces

Much Discussion

the troops constructed as could be made available.

actual through Kuala Lumpur to Pe. "I was also informed

defences in which they would sang so that they would be able "The question of the best the

defence organisation in method of defending important!

normally fight.

to operate quite independently Mainyk

apparently was

not sectors

of Singapore. of the East coust of working smoothly or efficiently Malaya gave rise to much dity. and that this would neeesaitate cassion. One school of thought early investigation and wellun. argued that as there were insuf-

"The staff of General Head-fletent numbers quarters for the Far East was very small for the work it had Lo carry out and immediately on

Overworked

that

Looking Back

move ot

"Another possibility that had "Looking back in the light of to be considered was, that of a what happened, it is easy to sudden descent without warning to defend any point out that a lot of prepara-on part of Singapore Island great length of a beach, the ene. tion was wasted and the energy with the object, either of des. my would be able to land out.so taken should have been ex- troying some important place side the defended portion, thus pended elsewhere; for instance much as the main wireless sta- ils formation in Singapore outflanking the defenders and a great deal of time was spent tion, or of establishing a footing was found necessary [o ald possibly cutting them off. The on the Mersing area which was awaiting subsequent reinforce- three duty officera of Junior best course of action was, there never heavily attacked. Mer-ments. This possibility Was rank in order to ensure keeping fore, to fight on 1 prepared aing, however, was a very Im-met by having a portion of the # 24-hour watch in the office.

poaltion in the rene where the portant place and had the Japan- | Singapore garrison to Come road leading into the Interior ese established themselves here into nation and could be defended. This school instead of at Kota Bharu they very short ahort notice. "The result of the smallness also argued that attempts to would have been at once within of the staff was that individuals hold benches would result in a short distance of Singapore;

(To Be Continued Tomorrow) were overworked and this in purely linear defence with and it is possible that had theso conjunction with the Malayan | sufficient troops in

defences been less strong they climate led to alckness. The counterattack.

might have attacked the Mer. most serious case was that of my Chief of Staff, Major General Dewing, who went into hospital on April 8 and remain- ed there until he started for England in May. General Play- faiz arrived take his place on June 21 but for the period of Home ten and a half weeks, I Was without a Chief of Staff.

hand for

in. a

sing area at an early stage in Review Of

Although it was my polley to allow general officers in com- the operations.

The

Story Of

'Donald Of China'

"The main reason for the de fence of Malaya was to preserve the facilities of the naval base at Singapore. Port and rubber) und tin production were also important but on t different plane from the naval base. It In

was of course not sufficient to have a closo defence of the area around the naval base itself. It was of great importance to keep enemy aircraft as far away

from the bane AS Possible on necount of the danger of barnb. In this meant extending the i defence right up to the northern end of Malaya.

this

"It may be noted thar WALK Or dependent upon the

(By Hal Boyle)

New York, Jan. 25.

a hotel room off Times Square a small man wearing dark glasses sat talking of a dead man of mystery, one of the fabulous adventures of modern times--the legendary white man who sought to free China.

"He was the first white man since Marco Pole to enjoy the confidence of China's rulers," said Earl Albert Selle, an old China hand who is slowly recovering from a siege of blindness caused by a Japanese bullet in Shanghai..

the

422

Foreign Exchange

London, Jan. 24. Mest, Samuel Montagu, feading bullion dealers, who have restarted their monthly review of foreign ex changes, write that there is a grow Ing feeling in many countries

bay

the schedule of currency parities fixed with the International Monetary

Fund in 1946 has become vurent is face of the present day conditions.

The ravages of six years of war have lek Europran countries so im poverished that unless further sub- stantial help cures from the Marahall or similar ld, devaluation will be unavoidable.

A

Italy has two exchange rates and France is pressing -for a similar ar- sugement, Arbitarily to fix exchange rates in the face of an economie bliz. |zard seems like tinkering with The man spoken of was William "His sole diplomatic principle was,

will policy of defending Malaya by Henry Donald the famous "Donald to give advice but never argue."

barameter in the hope that it means of air power. Had the of China"-an Australian who for

Appear to continue reading art fale. In 1940 Donald fell out of the -Reuter. policy been to defend Malays four decades was a power in

the path of the Chiang-Selle said it by means of army forces, dis uncompleted task of building a re was because of his disgust over the

in publican Government positions might have been diffam where live more than a fifth et high circles and the refusal of Chiang ing on his hospital bed he decided

rostofficial corruption in the Kuomintang fering but it would still have

the world's people, been

that time to deliver essential 10 hold

speeches to tell his story, and dictated it to thei

Donald had wiltten attacking Hitler. Selle, who has made it into a book greater part in Malaya in order He was a big starch, quietly

to be published next month. to deny aerodromes or their blunt figure who went to China as The next year the Chiangs ap- ponalble sites to the

chemy.newspaperman and conceived early pealed to him to return, Impatient Died Of Cancer Singapore Island was to be pro- his lifelong panion to the the delay in getting an air visioned for 180 days

sprawling country becoine a modern priority at Honolulu, Donald mailed Knowing Donald's wish to die in democratic state.

on a freighter which put him in at his adopted and although the sick Manila after the

Japanes attack man refused to

the appeal to "Donald got his first newspaper job on Pearl Harbour. Donald was in Chiang, Selle sent word to them. in Hong Kong because he was "For sometime before Novemteelataker," said Selle,

terned with the fall of the Philip They arranged a special flight and "That was pines ber 1040, relations between the what his editor

and although the Japanese Danald was Rown ta Shangbai, of the paper that Police came

to the camp searching where he died in November 1946, army and airforce

were not hired him was looking for. He for him he would bave been "What did Donald look like ?" I happy; there was some jealousy never took a drop of liquor in his between them, cooperation left life and he had two favourite say aged to shelter him.

a majer prize the commandant man-asked Selle curiously.

Jealousy

never saw him," he answered

a great deal to be desired and It Ing-'He travels fastest who travel Released at the end of the war, quietly. was some months before this alone, and he travels fastest

who the Australian war taken to

At the time of bis Honolulu inter- could be considered satisfactory.{ travels dry":

Honolula hospital where he was views with this little known man "Every operation should have'

found to br dying of lung cancer, who looms o large in the secret been looked upon as a combined far enough

The young reporter travelled farFor 25 years he had refused huge history of China Selle himself was

to become a legendary operation of two or very often figure of the totus. I began as an

sums to write his memoirs, but ly- totally blind.-Associated Press. three services; for a long time advisor to a viceroy in the corrup there was a tendency for one of Manchu regime, switched to the re- the services to work out a plan volutionary banner of Dr. Sun Yat- on I own and then see how one en, the idealistic "Father of Modern or both the other services could battered in the gates of Nanking, and

China, directed artillery fire come in.

"The local tradition of inter shek.

became the advisor of Chiang Kail service

jealously had

some

tha!

effect for the first few months The Japanese hated him and call- on the working of Generaled him the "Evil Spirit of China." Headquarters. Personal rela Selle believes that except for tions with army headquarters Donald, Japan could have sabotaged were good but my staff had to seized the country in 1915. He sees the Chinese revolution in 1911 ant be seriously careful in dealing Donsid as the unifying force that with matters that touched

on coabied China to enter the first world † the province of the general war and to hold off the Japanese in officer commanding.

the second one.

"The cooperation between the "Donald alone is responsible for navy and the airforce was good the worldwide, sympathy that came and it continually improved be to Chion and the Chiang In fight against Japan," he skid,

tween the navy and the army,

view.

One Honest Man

Large Armies Are Not Obsolete

Washington, Jan, 25. Secretary of Defence James V. Forrestal and former Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts fired counterblasts today at those who contend "a push-button warfare" makes large armies obsolete and universal military train- ing unnecessary.

the

"If we accept the promise that un-,

Dallas, Tex, Jan. 24. the der existing world conditions Am General Omar Bradley, the next erica must remain strong in order U.S. Army Chief of Staff, said. "If asure world peace, no alternative | Russia had the atomic bomb I don't for instance on such matters as

Fexista to universal training,” asserted belleve, they would heakate to use it getting advice from naval of

Forrestal.

on us." He added in an intervIEW ficors as to probable sites of "His success—and - hlxtory alone

that "I don't think she could--or landings from a naval point of will show the full extent of his In- Roberts, who heads the National would--fight now if she could help

Committee Security fluence was due to the fact that he tian backing military training), said now unless some country blunders (an organisat. I don't think there will be war was the one man in China all fac- dons could count on for complete that mase armies are outmoded be

argument by such opponents into it." boncity.

cause of modern warfare “is a fraud "I found on my arrival in the

"He also refused to learn a word which, if allowed to go unchalleng knowledge of the American posses- Far East that there was con of the Chinese language or even eated, may lead thin country to disasterlen of the atomile bomb is the only siderable ignorance of modern Chinese food," He didn't like the

thing keeping Russie from marching war conditions both is the army ever learned the language the called upon the House of Represents-

food and he decided' aurly that if he The American Legion, meanwhile, through Europe. and airforce. This could not of chinese around him in conferences tits Roles Committee to bring log war because "Russin bas ́eaked There is danger of a blunder caus- course be made good entirely by could talk among themselves better universal military training: iegiain- such an aggressive stand in pmaing document). personal experience and without embarrassment, "Selle tion, to the House Goor for debate around other nations," he declared. way ogsontin};

and a vottemAssociated Prém,

Ignorance

continued.

He said

be believed that

Associated Pre

the

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