London, June 11.
"Singapore is one of the most important points of the world," declared Professor Denis Saurat, Director of the French Institute, today, lecturing on Anglo-French ce-operation in Asia.
"The fate of China would be the fate of India but for the British forces in the Far East. Fortunately, Singa-Pore is a very strong position. French experts who visited the island, declare that it is practically impregnable."
Professor Saurat said there was complete unity in French and British actions in the Far East, including an entente for the defence of Shanghai, Hongkong, Singapore and Malaya. There were also Java and Sumatra, belonging to the Dutch \Allies, and American interest in. the Philippine Islands.
Stressing French pride in mdo-China, he stated, the Allies had agreed to ce-operate in its retention.
Turning to China, Professor Saurat declared the Japanese were the masters of China in theory, not in practice, "There are at present three large dogs fighting in China: Japan, Russia and the United States. Whatever the outcome, Great Britain and France hold the key-position not only of the Far East but perhaps of the world. The future of the Far East is for the Allies to decide. There are British interests in China, centring on Hongkong and Shanghai, but also very strong interests concentrated in Malaya and Singapore.
lot only is this the only road to India, but also the key to Australia.
"But Great Britain and France must learn the lesson they failed to learn after the last war: They must not allow other influences to grow ovér-strong in the Far East. We have all cards in our hands; let us play them the right way."—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.