SINGAPORE DEFENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 87, 23 January 1942, Page 3

SINGAPORE DEFENCE.

PROVISION OF AIR SUPPORT. AN AMERICAN VIEWPOINT. NEW YORK, Jan. 21. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that following the conference between Mr Roosevelt and Dr. H. J. van Moolc (Lieutenant Governor General of the Netherlands East Indies), the opinion was expressed in high official circles that if Singapore and the East Indies can hold out for JO days the Allied nations will have nilsuperiority over the Japanese in the south-western Pacific. Asked whether lie thought that officials in 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 government minds, both in London and Washington, appreciate the importance of the area.” A Toronto message says that Mr Hugh Grant, formerly United States Minister in Thailand, interviewed by the Canadian Press Association to-day. said that the Allies were bound to gain control of the air in the Pacific, perhaps within a few weeks, and would bomb Japan into collapse after cutting her long lines of communication. Emphasising that there 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.