Why Japan's Interest
p. 39 · Read in the full issue
in Timor?
THE announcement, made in “Sydney Morning Herald” on November 16, that a Japanese Government-sub sidised airline is about to run between Palau (Western Carolines Japanese mandate), via the Moluccas or Dutch New Guinea, to Dilli, capital of Por tuguese Timor (the East Indies island nearest to Australia) is a matter of sharp interest to Australia, and to all British and French territories in the Western Pacific.
Why should the Japanese start this line?
Timor is only a small island, divided between Portugal and Holland, and already it has a weekly airmail, pro vided by the Dutch, which connects with the regular Dutch East Indies airlines.
The Japanese, for years, have shown a lively interest in Timor—presumably, because it is Portuguese, and various land-hungry nations are alwavs hoping to pick up the remnants of Portugal’s once great colonial empire.
From Australia’s viewpoint, Timor is embarrassingly close to Darwin—it is a water hop of only a few hundred miles.
While Dutch or Portuguese are there, Australia will not worry. But if Japan ese —Hitler’s new ally—were to make any kind of base there, the position would be less satisfactory.
However. Portugal and Holland are Britain’s allies. Portugal has not yet given the Japanese the rieht to land at Dilli. and Holland has not p-iven them permission to fly over the East Indies.