That Malayan

Canal

What It May Mean To North-West Pacific

TT has been reported that Japanese in ■*- terests are to build a canal through that portion of Siam that lies athwart of the stem of the Malaya Peninsula.

Look at a map of Asia, and try to visualise the effect that such a waterway would have upon Far Eastern sea traffic, and upon the strategical position in the north-western Pacific generally.

Mr. A. ( J, Vogan, F.R.G.S., writes in terestingly upon the subject: The pendulum of change seems to be entering a similar atmosphere for English people to that of about the year 1580, when that prince of spies and plotters, Campion, was arranging—as Richard Simpson has just disclosed for us—the destruction of the “Tight Little Island” by means of the Great Invasion scheme — when all the European nations were to attack at once.

Queen Elizabeth’s Secret Service and her great Foreign Minister, Walsingham, saved the occasion; and the failure of the first step (the vast Armada) broke the scheme into pieces.

The similarity of the two periods is en hanced by the fact that the said Armada was eight years in preparation, and that the great Canal de Kra, in Siam, is to be completed in eight years, when the Japanese will be able to avoid passing our vast gun-emplacements at Singapore, thus rendered obsolete, when moving fleets for the appropriation of the Sunda, Borneo, Philippine and other Islands con necting Australia with the Indian Empire —such as is the well-authenticated plan of the Militarist Party of Japan.

This “Back-door to Burma,” as the new Japanese canal has been conven iently called, however, was not missed as a possibility by our wonderful Naval In telligence when reporting upon Singa pore, and Siam’s boundary-line lies east of the Point d’appui, which is an easily fortified range of Burmese country, form ing the northern entrance to the bay which the Japanese propose to connect with a similar one on the eastern side of the Kra Isthmus.

The Japanese obtained permission to make this canal through the influence of Luang Pradit Manndharm, the democratic leader (communistic?) of the anti-Euro pean element in Siam and' neighbouring States.

A recent French newspaper, comment ing upon what our Australian sheets keep so silent about, says:—“The great English settlement of Singapore will be hard hit, both in its role as military, and as com mercial autocrat of the Malacca Straits.

The new canal will change the whole de fensive system established in Orient by the English, and is viewed by them with extreme inquietude. The same view is taken by the Dutch. France has her interests in Indo-Chine which will be effected perhaps beneficially, who knows?

“Thus the little insignificant Kingdom of Siam, that one heard nothing of yes terday, under the passing premiership of an ultra-democrat, or communist, can, at one blow, undo the work and schemes of great Empire-builders in disastrous man ner.”