World: A Base is Refitted

The sorry necessities of scorched-earth tactics knock the spots out of such delicate installations as radio stations. On such sturdy things as oil wells and naval bases they are only partly effective. From the Tokyo radio last week, the United Nations, already aware that the Japanese had refitted Singapore, heard details of their rebuilding farther south.

Tokyo said that around Surabaya, The Netherlands’ fine secondary base on Java, 150 mines had been swept to open the way inside to Japanese naval units. Domei said that plans were already laid for salvaging 53 Allied ships sunk or beached near by. Even discounting Japanese claims. Allied commanders in Australia knew that Surabaya would soon be turned against them.