I I ^ SINGAPORE ^3>L ua ^ l J ju ^ ,'3jUr. /I '^4”^-. A dark veil of doubt and uncertainty shrouds the great and famous city of Singapore tonight. The latest fragmentary indications would seem to sho that the British defende'^s still hold part of the metropolis of Malaya.J This is the 'hg.t-s.s:t opinion expressed by London. /Ehemy sources claim that the Rising Sun flar has been raised in the center of the and city, that the main army of Japan has marched in. A Yet the Singapore radio station has been broadcasting during the day - fragmentary bulletins marred by bad reception. One of these toncluded with the defiant words - ”V/e shall win!” The bitterest kind of fighting appears to be going on in the city, with the defenders making counter-attacks - though these have been mostly futile. London tells of three counter-attacks, and says that only one scored any degree of success. SliiGAPOM - ^ The Japanese tell of the British trying to evacuate by ship under heavy bombing, and some of the defenders may be able to escape - though London says in a sombre tone that the chances of evacuating any considerable proportion of the troops are slim. On other parts of the island, KMKXKX Empire troops are holding out with bitter determination. This is particularly true in the section of the great naval base, across the island from the city of Singapore. There the defenders are staunchly resisting attack and are blasting away with their heavy apbillery - the mighty* guns of the naval fortifications These were the latest indications, and things --------O m ^ were changing rapidly v'hen they came in -^things may have changed altogether by now - respecting the fate of the city so darkly shroudeo in doubt. LONDON The imminent fall of Singapore - if it has not already fallen - is giving the polit ical set-up in London a bad shaking. The British public is described as having its worse shock since the fall of France, and the Churchill Government is facing a crisis. There are new loud demands for a skKskxx shake-up of the Churchill Cabinet - but the Prime r.. fame and prestige. However, political circles in London are admitting frankly that if Java and Burma should go the way of Singapore and fall to the Japs, even the personal position of Winston Churchill will be jeopardized. It'i'S inuBediate demaiid right hotiv is or a stronger and'abler cabinet, and there's a call Ei:' If ' ‘ 2 ; Minister himself appears to be safe, so great is his j for the establishment of what they call - ’’a government of national union.” In this, the dominions and other i 1 I LONDOfL- ^ sections of the Empire would he represented. Pevolt in Parliament is flaring, and this today took the form of an outbreak in the Liberal Nationalist Party. This faction is a part of the coalition supporting the Churchill Cabinet. Three prominent members have seceded from the Liberal SJ Nationalist group. Two of them are Edward Granville and Sir John Henry Morris- Jones.^Of late, they've been outright critics of the way the war in the Far East has been going, bitter about Singapore - and for this they were summoned*to a private meeting of their party. The meeting occurred today, and the two National Liberal members Were censured. Instead of •i'r ii submitting to the censure, they walked out - seceded. jt^M^be-en^convinafM^ -th:a 4 -gmgethlug-- m n r p ] X /V e-rft-moftt a LONDON - ? 99-fepy.i iftg wi- These tv/o seceding members -j L-rb-eMT^'-'I^^Vy were joined by another - one of the most prominent in the group - Hore-Belisha, former Secretary of State for V«^ar. He too has been a critic of the Churchill Government, trod-e-y—h«--rooig>-n the Hftd.ioaal Liberal--Petrty—eh9—a"pi!»^cot ngai-neit the- u]^e—v^^4redI’^the o^her It is believed that Hore-Beliska, Granville and Morris-Jones are going to join a group under the leadership of Sir Stafford-Cripps, who until recently was British Ambassador to Soviet Russia. Stafford-Cripps, member of the Labor Party, has now taken a position of criticism. They say he*s likely to gain another I recruit, a Labor member, Commander Stephen Hall King. | All of which points to the lining up of a vigorous faction in opposition to the present Churchil] LONDON - 4 Government In a broader sense, today’s events indicate a general seething in Parliament with a possible break-up of established political lines -- all because of Singapore. The word in London is that Prime Minister Churchill is so concerned about this that he intends to go on the radio and defend his position - giving his version of Singapore. This is confirmed in New York, where the National Broadcasting Company announced that Churchill will be on the air on Sunday -- four o'clock Eastern If.ar Time. rf 1 BURMA l-r The Japs have been repelled at a critical point ^ in Burma. This - at a place called Pa-An. Yesterday I we heard how they had brolen across the great river barrier of the Salween and captured the key. c-i-tf of ^ A v> p Martaban near the mouth of'^the k-tggam. Pa-An is A / a river—crossing thirty miles north of Martaban, and there the enemy tried to crash his way across today. The Japanese were defeated, but the latest report from the Burmese capital, Bangcon, states that they striking again and with increasing force^ Rangoon announces the beginning of what it calls - ”the real I battle of Burma.” Burma is the road to India, and today we have i A i a bit of British political action designed to strengthen the defense of the great sub-continent of Hindustan. India has been offered a seat in the Imperial V/ar Cabinet and in the Pacific BURMA - ? Viar Council, Indian political leaders were invited to sen^ representatives. They say that this new British concession to India is a result of the visit made by General Chiang Kai-she!^, China’s war leader has been in Bombay, trying to promote the cooperation of the Indian people with the British in the war. t I ^ PHILIPPINES Tonight*s late bulletin from General 34acArthur has very little to say about fighting. Instead, it concentrates on proclamation issued A by the Japanese commander -- a new bit of enemy suppression. The^rt^ forbid the publication and distribution of newspapers, magazines and books without ^9 permission, --comm, Earlier MacArthur’ told of trouble the enemy is having with food supplies. The policy of the invaders is to live on the land, but as a result of war, great numbers of Philippine farm laborers have fled into the mountains. In many cases they were evicted from their homes by the Japs, and have gone into Manila. The result is -- shortage of farm labor and farm products. This has caused the Japanese commander to issue a proclamation implorir^|: the Filipinos to stay on their farms to produce food. A The enemy general uses all sorts of sweet words and persuasive statements I PKILIFI'INES - 2 Fighting is still in a condition of lull, but it*s only the lull before another storm, v^e are told. I heard an eloquent tribute to General MacArthur and his men today from Leighton McCarthy, Canadian Minister to Washington. He called it magnificent beyond words. It was at a luncheon in honor of Air Marshal Billy Bishop and other Canadian airmen. 1 A Japanese column meanwhile has occupied the Philippine Island of Masbati. Near the center of \] the archipelago, and not of any great importance - although the occupation of Masbati may help to maintain Japanese c O u HIunications through Philippine waters. I rOUfllZATION All men in the Army are to be immunized ajpainst yellow fever. The purpose of this was f I described today by Secretary of War Stimson in the following words:- ”a preventative measure designed to make all soldiers available for service in areas where the disease is known to exist.^ Well, we all know the areas where yellow fever may be expected - the tropics. the regions of trop of war is—n-ow vsif^inrg^ —th-e “Eayt rrtd4«-s~~'aTvd Immunisation against yellow fever is /( accomplished by vaccination. The vaccine used is a kind of virus prepared in the laboratories - of the Rockefeller Foundation - which foundation has done so much memorable v/ork in the conquest of tropical i W disease. The immunity is specifically against what is called - "jungle yellow fever.” 5 ^^ LINCOLN President Roosevelt today led the celebration of the Hundred and Thirty-Third Anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln,the beautiful memorial in V.'ashing ton stood at attention in a frosty wind while a ceremonial wreath was placed. At Indianapolis, a Lincoln Day statement was made by the new Executive Director of the Republican National Committee - Clarence Buddington lelland. Readers of the SATURDAY EVENING POST will remember Bud Kelland, as the x ar'xax xf X i i iasc xach XX X x ^ X ji jc ^ X ^ ^ ^ X X X X X author of an unfailing production of short stories and serials. Today he made a declaration of G.O.P. war-time faith as follows:- "The Republican Party," said BTrt Kelland, "will be satisfied with nothing short of the military destruction of our enemies so that they*^ brought abjectly to their knees to sue for| . i 'm LINCOLN - 2 peacp Then, turning to our international political system, the Republican Executive Director spoke of two kinds of unity - one pood and one bad. "Iffational unity”, which he described in these words;- "Our loyalty to the common state and for the common welfare.” TtifT' "political unity”, which would mean the rule of one single political party without opposition. Totalitarian nations have political unity, Kelland pointed out^ and ytte n -h-S-- r.tJ dST? 11 gfc p 0 1 i t i-e '>4- -un-i^y—e-omeo 4-n-at —human "libcrtieo g e- ■■ ft H i- — rr-f-“4rh » w-4-n Anna " ■ And .w t4i ■ L ll4 I ■ li Called for 4 1 vigorous sstixitiy activity of war-time politics - "that brand of politics,” explained Bud Eelland, "v’hich is the sole means by v/hich the common man can express his patriotism and his vital interest in the -rXZe- U'bo-; welfare_of his country UstSj^[ t?- 1 LINCOLN - 3 Another celebration of Lincoln’s Birthday was staged on the Delaware River. The Navy did the celebrating, and in an appropriate way - by launching three new warships. The ten thousand ton cruiser MONTPELIIIB slid down into the Delawar^te^i^^ at Camden, New Jersey. And the cruisers BUTLER and GHERARDI were launched a few minutes apart at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. These three Lincoln Day warships are being X aptly styled - ”New Emancipators.” J i^R£^__ROOSE^LT Mrs.Franklin D. Poosevelt is going to quit her post with the Office of Civilian Defense. The First Lady is in Ithaca for a speaking date at a Cornell celebration. And there she told newspapermen of her intention to leave the O.C.D. "I*ve always intended to resign from the Office of Civilian Defense when the organization of that office is completed," said she. When? She answered - "very soon. V 'tm INGALLS In a Washington courtroom today, the testimony painted a surprising picture - a portrait of a would-be Mata Hari. This occurred at the trial of Laura Ingalls,= the well known woman flyei^ Siiel-3 accused of having acted as a Nazi propaganda agent and of having failed to register as such - as the law required. During the time before we got into the war. H Laura Ingalls took a prominent part in the argument against our entry into the conflict. She made numerous isolationist addresses, attacking the administration foreign policy. At the trial now on, the prosecution has shown that the aviatrix was in contact with German agents and received money from them - all this in an exceedingly secret, under-cover sort of way. hidden communicc t ions, code words, and all that. And evidence has been presented to show that Laura Ingalls expressed strong oro-Nazi sentiments, Heil Hitler ^nc INGALLS - 2 the rest of it. Even after the United States got into the war, she communicated with the German; Embassy in Vfashington. The defense of the flyer is that she was trying to do a one-woman unofficial job of counter­ espionage - trying to find out what the Nazis were up to. She says the tried to join the F.B.I. as a counter-espionage agent, tried several times She made a reference to her powers of imagination, and summarized the whole thing in the following words:- ”1 have astrong imagination," said she. "I saw myself as a sort of Mata Hari, an international spy - and I wanted to serve my country I was fascinated," exlairaed the aviatrix. f DOROTHY THOMPSOxN Today brought a headline from the lofty world of the intelligentsia, where deep thinkers solve world problems. The startling news is this -- I Dorothy Thompson, renowned columnist on international affairs was kicked in the stomach and bitten in the finger -- kicked and bitten by a blonde. It was all a rather paradoxical affair beginning with a Broadway play^ ”Cafe Crown" This drama is about a real place called "Cafe Royale down on Second Avenue, a haunt of the Jewish intelligentsia. Last night, Dorothy Thompson and an escort attended the play, and then adjourned to the real place .1" They were sitting there among the I Jewish intelligentsia, when another couple arrived gL large and dazzling blonde with her escort. i^Aaybe they too had been to the play and wanted to see the real thing. The blond^ obviously | sitting at a table having another ^Suddenly she remarked in a loud voice, "Heil, Hitler!" tthich was hardly the thing to say in war-time -- ! i DOROTHY THOMPSON - 2 especially at the Cafe Royale. It created a sensation. Dorothy Thompson tried to ease things by saying, "Don’t pay any attention to her, she’s drunk.** The blonde, however, went on with some more loud Nazi talk about things Jewish. The plot wtts rapidly thickentir^ ^ The blonde and her boyfriend were put out of the Cafe Royale. And, as it happened, Dorothy Thompson and her escort were" leaving about the same time. She and the blonde met outside and Dorothy Thompson remarked:- "You ought to behave yourself. Whereupon the blonde kicked Dorothy Thompson in the stomach. The columnist responded with a left. Not exactly a snappy punch -- she says it was more case of trying to push the blonde’s face in. The face, however, didn’t push so easily and the blonde get one of the Dorothy Thompson fingers in her mouth and tried to bite it off. In the fracas one of the Jewish intelligentsia \ 4 DOROTHY_THOMP£ON - 3 landed a punch on the boyfriend of the blonde. That provided the ironical touch -- because the blonde's boy friend explained that he wa^ Jewish. dll very complicated. ^ Wvjz. Ir. W' i 'Jrtflp ....