1939: Straits Settlements

Straits Settlements, a British crown colony which comprises the four settlements of Singapore (with Christmas and Cocos or Keeling Islands), Penang (with Province Wellesley), Malacca, and Labuan. The Straits Settlements are situated between 95° and 110° East long., with Singapore slightly above the Equator, Penang and Malacca 8° N, at the head of the Straits of Malacca and Labuan in the South China Sea off Borneo, while Christmas and Cocos Islands are beyond Java below the 10th parallel South latitude in the Indian Ocean. The total area is 1,356 sq. mi. and the total population in June 1938 was estimated to be 1,344,545 inhabitants, of which 852,083 are Chinese, 301,852 Malayan, and 150,778 Indian.

The exports of the Settlements consist principally of rubber, tin, rice, coconuts, pineapples, fish, and motor spirits. The imports are chiefly machinery, cigarettes, rubber, milk, and kerosene. Singapore and Penang, the two principal ports, handle most of the commerce, not only of the Settlements, but also of the Netherlands East Indies and British Malaya. At the end of 1937, the Settlements had 992 miles of metalled roads and 173 miles of gravel and natural roads. A railway runs from Singapore to Johore Bahru, and another connects Parit Buntar with Prai in Province Wellesley. There are 148 post offices in the Settlements and 89 offices with special postal facilities. A daily air service operates between Penang and Singapore, and there is wireless communication with the East Indies and Asia.

The cultural life of the Settlements is improved by free schools for instruction in the Malay language and schools for instruction in English. There were, in all, 392 schools with a total enrollment of 69,400 students. In higher learning, there are Rafiles College at Singapore, opened in 1929, and King Edward VII College of Medicine. Public revenue for the year 1939 is estimated at £4,616,705 and expenditures at £5,063,333. The medium of exchange is the Settlements dollar which equals 25.4d. or $.5797 in United States currency. The Straits Settlements are administered by a Governor, Sir Shenton Thomas, appointed 1934, aided by an executive council of 11 members.

In 1939, the fortifications and armaments of the Straits Settlements which had been begun in 1938 were enlarged. The new naval base at Singapore, completed Feb. 14, 1938, was strengthened by the construction of batteries. A total of $10,000,000 was appropriated for defenses during the year. In June of 1939, British and French far eastern chiefs met to form naval, air, and land committees on defense, and on Aug, 11, 1939, as war neared, 3,000 British troops from India were transported to Singapore, bringing the total recent garrison to 7,000 men. On Aug. 29, Governor Sir Shenton Thomas pledged their loyalty to Great Britain.