INVASION FEARED

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 43, 14 November 1941, Page 7

INVASION FEARED

Thailand Nervous SINGAPORE, November 12. Thai nervousness, which has been clearly observed at Bangkok during the past few weeks, came to a head last ni <r lit when an official Bangkok radio commentator called on Thailanders to be prepared for war. Declaring that Thailand will be in the war this year or next year, he urged heroic resistance. Observers say that Thai fears are obviously tied up with the fact that the rains have now ceased and that m a few more weeks the country will be in a condition most favourable for invasion. _ Despite reports of large Japanese forces in French Indo-China, observers do not believe the Japanese strength there Is sufficient for a land attack against Thailand. They believe that the Japanese technique for domination of Thailand is likely to be an ultimatum followed by an air blitz, in the hope of breaking the nerves of the Thai Government, and that, aided by fit tn column” activities, the Japanese hope to obtain an easy capitulation, enabling Japanese protection rather than the hard road of military .conquest. A Manila message states that substantial reinforcements of American long-range submarines have arrived m the Philippines. The combined American and Dutch submarine strength in the south-western Pacific at present is stronger than at any previous stage or the Far Eastern tension.