FEELING IN EAST

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 82, 3 October 1941, Page 6

FEELING IN EAST

SINGAPORE A BULWARK

WELFARE OF GARRISON

LOYAL DUTCHMEN

■ "Singapore is not nearly so apprehensive as other places that we visited on the way here, even including New Zealand itself. I suppose we in Singapore know more of the preparations that have . taken place up there, and feel more confident," said LieutenantColonel Herbert A. Lord, 0.8. E., the Salvation Army officer commanding Malaya, in an interview yesterday. Lieutenant-Colonel Lord and Mrs. Lord are on furlough, ' ■ and will remain in New Zealand for about three months before returning to Singapore. "We in Singapore are satisfied that anybody attempting to take the base would bite off a good deal more than he could chew," said Colonel Lord. •'Even casual observation gives you that impression. We know, in addition, that we have both civil and. military men at the head in whom we can put our confidence, and we know from what we have seen of their activities that they know their job and can be trusted to do it." Colonel Lord was not willing to speak at length on the attitude of the United States towards the situation in the East, but he did give some indication of the» feeling among the people of Singapore. "We are all of the opinion," he said, "that if the need arose we could depend upon the United States to play the game." In the six and a half years that Colonel Lord has been in Malaya the work of the Salvation Army has increased tremendously, and there are now 14 institutes and schools between Singapore and Penang, in the north. Since the war a club had been opened for servicemen, and, in addition, the Salvation Army had four Australian welfare officers with the A.1.F., and had also opened further institutes under the. auspices of ; the Australian command, he said. PROBLEMS TO BE FACED. "Unquestionably there are social problems that have to be faced and dealt with," he said. "You can't have such a preponderance of one sex coming into a place of normal activities without having repercussions in many ways, but on the whole the deportment . of all the men has been exemplary, and really the difficulties one might have expected have not developed. Naturally, however, you will get black sheep in every flock. The physique of the men is such that they are nbt troubled by the climate, but the main problem, is the lack of opportunity for 'the action a soldier naturally seeks. That is where the welfare work comes in. It is very essential to keep vp v the morale ■ of the men and prevent boredom from . becoming dangerous." Colonel Lord described the efforts . that were being made by Australian, ; New Zealand, British, and Chinese residents to provide comforts and amenities for the troops, and referred especially to the excellent work, being '• done by the Chinese women in this direction, and by the Chinese men in the civil defence organisations. «'We were very impressed with the 1 pro-British feeling throughout the whole of the Dutch East Indies," he said. "The V campaign was taken up marvellously in the beginning of August when-it? was in its infant days, and yet, although we had hardly seen a sign of it in Singapore, every car and shop window and every dwelling--1 house displayed aV. AH the women ' were wearing it, and many of the cars were flying Dutch and British flags . 1 sewn together. The pro-British feel--1 ing was really heartening, and their ! confidence in our ultimate success was | complete." ■• ■ . .