The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1941 Hong Kong Falls

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22156, 27 December 1941, Page 4

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1941 Hong Kong Falls

flpm; loss of Hong Kong after the gallant though •* unavailing resistance of the garrison there is a serious blow to British power in the China Seas. No attempt will he 'made to minimise the effect of this set back, but it can be said that those in charge of the defence of this important outpost did even more than was expected of them. Once the Japanese had freedom of movement in the waters off the South China coast Britain’s chances of holding the island were severely reduced. There was no chance of sending reinforcements to relieve the garrison; the only outside aid available was provided by the Chinese operating on the mainland, but there was not much the Chinese could do in the face of Japanese air superiority. The general situation in the Pacific, and the surrender of Hong Kong merely reflects it, is unquestionably serious. For the present the Japanese fleet is able to operate without effective check; the enemy air forces are apparently much larger than had been thought and in the meantime it is difficult to see how further losses of valuable Allied bases are to be avoided. The naval balance of power swung in Japan’s favour when the Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk. It was rightly assumed that these ships would give Britain control of the Pacific, so their loss must be reckoned one of the most severe blows of the war. Of course, the time will come when this present unfavourable strategic position will be rectified, but until then reverses must be expected. It is clear now that Japan had prepared thoroughly for her Pacific war and the defensive preparations of Britain and America were evidently not on the same scale as Japan’s offensive planning. Had Hong Kong remained in British hands it would have been a valuable base for operations later in the Pacific war. It lies closer to Japan than any other British or American base. It has one of the finest harbours in the world and possesses excellent docks capable of holding the largest vessels. There is also a considerable ship repairing and construction industry. Altogether the Japanese have obtained temporarily an asset of considerable value and it will probably be within their power to use it formidably. Reverses, however, must be suffered and the loss of Hong Kong, together with the serious situation in the Philippines, will make the British and American peoples in the Pacific appreciate the extent of the peril confronting them. It is a peril which can be met and mastered, but not until its dimensions are thoroughly understood. The reverses which have already occurred are plainly attributable to the fact that the Japanese were taken too cheaply. Their striking power was certainly underestimated. Awkward though the position may be, there is no ground whatever for despondency. All that has been lost will be regained, but the struggle ahead will make the maximum demand upon all the nations in the Pacific area.