Strength Of India's Defences Growing Daily

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13623, 22 April 1942, Page 3

Strength Of India's Defences Growing Daily

* aL WAVELL'S broadcast to nation Britain's Air Force Powerfully Reinforced pprISES FOR JAPAN IF INVASION IS jLKr* ATTEMPTED London, April 21. „. rc hibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief, India, has - a i, neople of that country concerning the defence of '■' !kl ' least from New Delhi to-night General Wavell indi!::iib p a -Hin's air strength in India had been powerfully re- && ] )at India's defences by fighter aircraft and anti-air- •' ere already strong enough to cause the Japanese ■■' 1S +I.ATI thevhad suffered elsewhere. The strength of tnan u«y ■■'■;, was growing daily. • ;:eiK ' ain danger was, said General Wavell,'from air in''f' S nder no circumstances could the Japanese bring such " k to bear on India as Germany had made on Britain or now making'against Germany. _ tTeneral said that he had been in Singapore at the time of • n violence of the Japanese air attacks and had later ; ' r i,?'aine experience in Rangoon. for one attack on Rangoon the casualties or damage had heavy in either of these cities. _ lie continued that the danger of an invasion of India was less Kite though real. '?d defences could not be made at all points along India s -hv coast line but it would be possible to assemble a striking Lnickly at required points. _ IMilsuch time as Japanese command of the Indian Ocean had wrested from the enemy, which might not be long, a landing 'iidian soil might be attempted by them I'eneral Wavell concluded by saying that if India remained m herself she could not fail. Victory against the Axis powers Lw beyond all doubt. It was merely a question of work and Z India had on her side four of the toughest and most powernations in the world, the British Empire, America, Russia and