World War: FAR EASTERN THEATER: Surrounded by ABCD

When French Indo-China last week became Japanese Indo-China (see p. 21) the strategic map of southeastern Asia was redrawn. Japan had gained another stronghold on the South China Sea.

Its possession did not mean that Japan would move next week or next month on Singapore or the Dutch East Indies. But in southern Indo-China Japan now has airfields within difficult but practicable bombing range of Singapore, part of the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines (see map). Bombing in the reverse direction is, of course, equally possible.

But more important than Japan's new air position is her new sea position. From...

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