[?] ohn Nicoll's Unhappy

Job in Singapore

Singapore, June, 2.

pODAY, Sir John Nicoll, KCMG, t ended his term as Governor of ngapore, and retired from the ritish Colonial Service. Fiji’s former olonial Secretary came here after short spell in Hong Kong. He is been unable to make much ipression upon this restless and ghly-coloured political scene.

Actually, there was not much tat Sir John could do. The scene ready was set under the direction British political philanderers, aey, in turn, had been guided by igh Commissioner Malcolm acDonald, son of former Socialist ■ime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, id probably the most calamitous itisher ever pushed into a high sition in this part of the world.

The oldest and shrewdest servers here blame MacDonald r the recognition of Red China, e surrender of Northern Vietnam, d the untimely granting of virtual f-government to this Malayan 3a.

Sir John Nicoll simply was handed Constitution for Singapore and d to implement it. He must have ted the task—but he carried it t, dutifully. fhe new Singapore Government ne into office only a few weeks ). It is headed by a loquacious

Baghdad Jew named David Marshall, who made the headlines by swaggering into formal functions wearing a bush jacket. There have been signs of clashes between Governor and Premier; but when Sir John was asked about it he only said: “Mr. Marshall is notable for making speeches, which is something I seek to avoid.”

The Assembly, asked to thank the Governor for his speech, debated the point as to whether Singapore should have a Governor at all.

Singapore was literally rocked by riots in mid-May, when bus-drivers went on strike, and were joined by a couple of thousand screaming hooligans out of the Chinese universities here. These so-called students are SO per cent. Com munists, and very ardent haters of the British. What started as an industrial row became a bitter racial demonstration; and, had the police not stood firm in the critical hours, there surely would have been massacre and much looting.

Sir John was praised for his handling of the situation. But, a week later, they were criticising him because the Chinese school hooli gans were not disciplined in any way for their outbreak.

New men are coming to both the Governorship and the High Com missionership. But many keen observers *eel that the situation is beyond help—that Singapore will be with Indo-China and Indonesia under Red and/or National anti- European domination within five

years.-

Rwr.