MENACE OF JAPAN

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 264, 5 August 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

MENACE OF JAPAN

Earl Beatty States Need For

Pacific Squadron

The menace of Japan in the Pacific is described by Earl Beatty, writing in "The Daily Telegraph,” London.

Step by step, he says, Japan has continued her expansion to the south under one pretext or another for the past few year's. After her withdrawal from the League of Nations she announced her intention of retaining her mandated territories as colonies, and there is now no doubt that on certain selected islands in the Pellew, Caroline and Marshall groups fortified naval bases with aerodromes have been constructed, bringing Japan 2000 miles nearer to New "Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and the rich British colony of Fiji. Early this year she occupied the large island of Hainan, on, which.she has established naVal and air bases, thereby bringing her within the. striking distance of 800 miles of Singapore. Within the last three, months she has annexed the .island of Spratley, which, small as it is, has provided her with a foothold within 300 miles of British North Borneo, wherein is to be found oil, which is one of Japan’s vital needs Lastly, through the invasion of South China, our outpost fortress of Hong Kong is now completely surrounded on land by territory held by the Japanese.

lii 193-5 our naval weakness in the Mediterranean was one of the main reasons for the Italo-Abyssinian war. Fortunately, today that situation is entirely different, and now the naval superiority of Britain and France in that inland sea is one of the chief causes of tlie maintenance of peace in Europe. Remembering this lesson, let us now look at the situation in the Far East and Western Pacific. The whole of the basis of the defence not only of.our possessions in that part of the world but also of Australia and New Zealand rests upon the fortified base of Singapore. Let us however, face the fact, unpleasant as it. is, that that base is of little value unless there is a strong battle-squadron based upon it. Such a squadron would form the only real safeguard against the invasion of North Borneo, New Guinea. Fiji and even the Commonwealth of Australia. The threat of what is known as a ‘■Fleet in Being,’’ consisting of this squadron, based on the strongly-forti-fied port, of Singapore, would surely be sufficient to prevent any large force

setting forth from Japan, for it would lie on the flank of Hie long Japanese line of communication. But, alas, that battle fleet is kicking at present, and if a squadron of battleships was sent, to Singapore in the present circumstances it would leave ns with a very narrow margin of superiority in home and Mediterranean waters.

It is, perhaps, hard for us in England, living on (he opposite side of the world, to feel that there is serious danger of the invasion of, say, Australia. But for Australians it is a very real fear- should the British Empire ever lose the command of the sea in the Pacific, in spite of Australia's recent magnificent effort to rehabilitate her defence forces, one cannot imagine that her six or seven cruisers, her 70,000 militia.- and her small air force could resist an onslaught of a first-class Power.

Tlie Commonwealth fully realizes that it. must depend ultimately upon Hie Royal Navy for defence. It is, perhaps, not as well known in this country as in Australia that tlie British Government have given an assurance that a battle squadron will be sent to Singapore in the event of trouble in the Far East. That promise will be far easier to fulfil by tlie beginning of 1941, when the five new King George V class battleships will be in commission. Tlie danger period lies between now and then.

Obviously, much depends upon the attitude of the U.S.A., but let. it be remembered that although she possesses a strongly fortified base at Pearl Harbour, in Honolulu, this harbour is 3300 miles from Japan. Fortifications have been commeneoil ar Gimm, a small island some 2001) miles nearer to Japan, and close to the north of the Caroline Islands, but t.jiey cannot be completed for some months.

Furthermore, it is hardly likely that the U.S. would he anxious to send a largo proportion of her navy to Singapore. the only fortified base capable of housing capital ships in that area, when it is realized that the distance between Singapore and San Francisco is 73-59 miles, and that -Japan and her outer defences lie between. Secondly, it is obvious that Japan will do all in her power to avoid the Philippines and will be careful to see that nothing she aloes conflicts with any U.S. interests.

'Thus mice again the supreme importance of sea power comes to the fore