Singapore's 1918 brought wartime controls on shipping and service, a troubled rubber market, arguments over housing, and influenza that disrupted work and filled hospitals. The armistice news arrived in November, followed by public ceremonies, thanksgiving and the uneven winding down of wartime restrictions.
A wartime port before the armistice
In March, the Dutch consul-general reported that clearance had been refused to several ships at Singapore, including vessels of the Royal Packet Company. The Netherlands government sought an explanation. (Malaya Tribune, 15 March 1918)
The published railway schedule sent northbound mail trains from Tank Road at 7.7 in the morning, except on Sundays, and at seven in the evening. The corresponding advertised arrivals in Kuala Lumpur were that evening and the following morning. For travellers continuing to Penang, the through express departed from Kuala Lumpur. (Malaya Tribune, 15 March 1918)
On 25 May, the Malaya Tribune carried the British Postmaster-General's announcement that enemy action had destroyed parcel mails dispatched from Singapore on 12 and 19 January. The same notice listed losses from Penang, Malacca and the Federated Malay States. (Malaya Tribune, 25 May 1918)
A July letter asked why the large steamer Kalgoorlie had remained at Tanjong Pagar for months with alterations and repairs only partly completed. The writer recalled that it had previously lain at anchor off the docks. (The Straits Times, 4 July 1918)
In October, the local shipping agents received news of another wartime loss. Their telegram, published on 10 October, reported that the Hirano Maru had been torpedoed and sunk on 4 October. The message referred specifically to passengers bound for Singapore. (Malaya Tribune, 10 October 1918)
Rubber auctions and the search for buyers
The rubber market began the year with substantial quantities awaiting buyers. Barlow's report for the auction ending on 24 January put the amount offered at 1,162 tons and the quantity sold at 626 tons. Demand had initially been fair, then weakened as the sale proceeded. Guthrie's report gave the highest prices as $100 per picul for fine pale crepe and $94 for ribbed smoked sheet, each four dollars below the previous week's best price. (Malaya Tribune, 25 January 1918)
By the auction at the end of February, reduced shipping facilities to Europe were explicitly part of the merchants' explanation for falling prices. Guthrie reported the change alongside a lower highest price for fine pale crepe. Barlow recorded 1,091 tons offered and only 590 sold. (Malaya Tribune, 1 March 1918)
June brought another obstacle. Macphail's weekly report said that difficulties over United States permits had narrowed the field of buyers and left rubber weak for near delivery. Rubber, tin and general shares had mostly softened during the week. Fraser's accompanying circular connected a decline in mining shares with the fall in tin. (Malaya Tribune, 15 June 1918)
The auction room changed its unit of quotation on 3 July. Barlow reported the introduction of sales at cents per pound instead of dollars per picul. (The Straits Times, 4 July 1918)
The downturn continued into August. Barlow described only a few buyers operating at the auction on 14 August, with large quantities withdrawn from sale. Paterson, Simons and Company reported that news of a possible further restriction on United States imports had reached the market immediately before the previous auction. (Malaya Tribune, 15 August 1918)
One suggested remedy was to prohibit rubber imports from the Netherlands Indies. The Free Press opposed that proposal on 27 August, warning local producers that a ban could ultimately do the industry more harm than good. (Singapore Free Press And Mercantile Advertiser, 27 August 1918)
Homes, rents and the responsibilities of the municipality
Housing criticism was already sharp in February. An editorial in the Tribune asked where responsibility lay when a building collapsed over its tenants. Its target was the uncertain relationship between landlords' duties and the municipality's rules and habits. (Malaya Tribune, 1 February 1918)
The Rent Assessment Board met at the Municipal Offices on 14 February under C. J. Saunders. The reported attendance included R. St J. Braddell, S. Tomlinson, M. Meyer, Gaw Khek Kiam, A. M. S. Angullia and H. Carpmael. (Malaya Tribune, 15 February 1918)
On 1 May, the Tribune returned to the Municipal Commissioners' duties in an editorial devoted to housing. It described them as representatives of ratepayers, responsible for protecting their interests and supervising municipal expenditure. The same day's account recorded another Rent Assessment Board meeting, again chaired by Saunders. (Malaya Tribune, 1 May 1918)
Land acquisition also reached the Supreme Court. On 14 May, Justice Ebden heard a compensation case arising from the taking of 186 Cross Street under an order of the Governor in Council. C. W. Darbishire and H. Robinson sat with him as assessors. (Malaya Tribune, 15 May 1918)
At a property auction on 12 June, Wearne Brothers bought freehold land off Dhoby Ghaut for $3,189.60. The sale was conducted at the Commercial Rubber Company's saleroom, and the reported rate was $1.20 per square foot. (Malaya Tribune, 15 June 1918)
At their meeting on 31 May, the Municipal Commissioners discussed housing and the purchase of land. F. J. Hallifax presided, with members including Braddell, W. A. Sims, W. Lowther Kemp and M. A. Namazie. (Malaya Tribune, 1 June 1918)
The legal community welcomed Justice Whitley at the Supreme Court on 26 August as the Assizes resumed under his presidency. A large number of members of the bar attended. Whitley had arrived from Seremban on the preceding Saturday. (Singapore Free Press And Mercantile Advertiser, 27 August 1918)
On 22 August, the Tribune reported receiving the Housing Commission's two-volume report, headed by W. George Maxwell, from the Colonial Secretary. (Malaya Tribune, 22 August 1918)
The Free Press then turned specifically to European housing. Its 27 August editorial presented that question after the housing of the poor and discussed the circumstances of Europeans who did not intend to remain permanently in Singapore. (Singapore Free Press And Mercantile Advertiser, 27 August 1918)
Community institutions and opportunities to learn
The Chinese Christian Association marked its twenty-eighth anniversary at the YMCA Hall on 31 January. Members and friends gathered for an evening programme. (Malaya Tribune, 1 February 1918)
The Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society held its fortieth annual general meeting at Raffles Museum on 28 February. Saunders chaired the gathering, which included Bishop Ferguson-Davie and the General Officer Commanding. (Malaya Tribune, 1 March 1918)
The Malayalee Association held a meeting on 23 March after obtaining registration. Members considered plans for the association's future work and heard the minutes and an account of events surrounding its registration. (Malaya Tribune, 25 March 1918)
On 25 June, the Tribune published results of the December 1917 Cambridge local examinations, including senior candidates from Raffles Institution. Among the names listed were Foo Hee Seng, Tan Chong Kew, Tan Joo Cheng and Wee Thiam Hock. (Malaya Tribune, 25 June 1918)
On 1 July, the Straits Chinese Reading Club began its nineteenth half-yearly session with a general meeting. The officers named in the report were the Reverend W. Murray as president, Chua Be Seng as secretary and Chua Boon Tiong as librarian. A presidential address accompanied the opening of the session. (The Straits Times, 3 July 1918)
The YWCA announced opportunities for formal office skills as well as recreation. A Pitman's shorthand examination would offer elementary, theory and speed certificates. The same notice postponed the Second Singapore Company Girl Guides' concert from 9 August until September. (Malaya Tribune, 25 July 1918)
Clubs also met one another across institutional boundaries. A return billiards match between the Straits Chinese Literary Association and the Muslim Institute was advertised for 24 August at the institute's clubhouse, 28 Race Course Road. (Malaya Tribune, 22 August 1918)
Later in the year, the Eurasian Literary Association planned shorthand tuition for beginners and advanced writers from 1 December. The schedule allowed an hour on four days each week. A bookkeeping class was being arranged for one evening a week from January 1919. (Malaya Tribune, 25 November 1918)
Picture houses and performances
By 26 February, the rebuilt Marlborough was being advertised in the press as the New Marlborough. The Free Press described electric fans and lighting in the refurbished picture house, together with seating intended to accommodate different classes of patrons. (Singapore Free Press And Mercantile Advertiser, 26 February 1918)
Tan Cheng Kee added another cinema business to his interests in May. Already proprietor of the Alhambra and Marlborough, he acquired the goodwill of the Palladium. The Tribune announced on 1 May that the Orchard Road cinema would operate under his management from that day. (Malaya Tribune, 1 May 1918)
Tan Cheng Kee also appeared before the Senior Magistrate over film censorship. On 24 July, Langham Carter imposed a fine with costs following a complaint by the official censor, Duncan Roberts. The report identified Tan as proprietor of the Alhambra and other cinemas in town. (The Straits Times, 24 July 1918)
At the Victoria Theatre, Shipman's Fantastics advertised the opening of their season for 14 November. The programme included Miss Bindley in an aria from Mignon, Fairy Pipers and Spring's Awakening, as well as four items by the Ladies' Quartet. (The Straits Times, 14 November 1918)
Service, conscription and wartime giving
Men seeking military service had to work around the General Officer Commanding's published availability. An April notice said he would not see candidates in Singapore after midday on 6 April until 26 April. It separately advertised an opportunity for candidates to meet him in Penang. (Malaya Tribune, 1 April 1918)
On 1 May, artillery sections were to assemble at Johnston's Pier for Fort Serapong, while other units reported to the Drill Hall. Some entries were specifically compulsory. (Malaya Tribune, 1 May 1918)
A proposed Malayan volunteer camp in Singapore was announced in June for about the middle of September. It was intended to last ten days, with participation sought from platoons in the Federated Malay States. The Singapore Civil Guard meanwhile advertised its own June parade at Pearl's Hill under Andrew Agnew, maintaining a separate local schedule. (Malaya Tribune, 25 June 1918)
A new Military Service Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council and read for the first time on 1 July. The Straits Times published the text on 3 July as provision for an overseas force for the Straits Settlements. (The Straits Times, 3 July 1918)
At a special meeting on 31 July, the Singapore Chamber of Commerce chose C. W. Darbishire, with F. H. Tomlin presiding. The next day's newspaper also specified that candidates for military service should seek appointments through the commanding officers of their volunteer units. (Malaya Tribune, 1 August 1918)
Singapore also became an assembly point for troops sent to Siberia. Colonel John Ward later told the House of Commons that his battalion had been divided between Singapore and Hong Kong. An order to assemble for an overseas destination, received in November 1917, was cancelled around January 1918. Ward understood the cancellation to arise from diplomatic difficulties. (Hansard, 5 November 1919, Further Vote on Account)
In June, new orders required the battalion to come together at Singapore and embark on the first ship that could be commandeered. Ward placed its arrival at Vladivostok near the end of July 1918. Describing those events in Parliament on 5 November 1919, he said it was a garrison battalion and that his instructions had presented the troops as friends of the Russian people, tasked with maintaining order. (Hansard, 5 November 1919, Further Vote on Account)
The first published local exemption list followed hearings on Monday, 23 September. It included employees of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, among them bank assistants W. D. McCullagh and H. C. Aspinall. (Malaya Tribune, 25 September 1918)
A later report explicitly recorded conditional exemption certificates. Among the cases heard on the preceding Friday were an advocate and solicitor, a motor-garage manager and the general manager of an insurance corporation. (Malaya Tribune, 1 October 1918)
War support also passed through the stage. The Singapore Amateur Dramatic Society contributed $4,000 from its performance of Dandy Dick to the Officers' Families' Fund, according to the fund's February acknowledgement. Mrs Ridout received contributions as honorary treasurer. (Malaya Tribune, 15 February 1918)
The Women's Day collection at the end of June raised more than $7,000, as reported on 1 July. Placards on motorcars announced the campaign, and collecting began at girls' schools before the main Saturday effort. (Malaya Tribune, 1 July 1918)
The Singapore Sporting Club made substantial gifts from its funds in July. Its committee allocated $20,000 to the Red Cross Fund and $2,500 to St Dunstan's Home Fund. (The Straits Times, 5 July 1918)
A variety entertainment at the Victoria Theatre raised support for St Andrew's Medical Mission. A letter published on 27 August drew attention to the mission's work in Singapore following the performance and appealed to readers on its behalf. (Singapore Free Press And Mercantile Advertiser, 27 August 1918)
The mission's building fund subsequently acknowledged $200 from the Chinese Ladies' Association and $25 from the Dispensary Limited in a list published on 16 September. That weekend, a second performance by the Flats raised funds for King Albert's Civilian Hospital and Church Army tents in Mesopotamia. The Governor and Lady Evelyn Young attended the Saturday performance. (Malaya Tribune, 16 September 1918)
Public health and contested protection
Earlier public-health instructions had dealt with plague. On 25 February, the Tribune reported notes prepared by Dr Glennie, with a translation being distributed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The notes explained plague through infected rats and the fleas that left them. (Malaya Tribune, 25 February 1918)
On 28 May, Thomas Ferens challenged the toleration of brothels in the Malay Street and Smith Street quarters. William Hewins replied that he had received a confidential report from the Governor but would not publish it. He defended the Governor's policy and described the Protector of Chinese as assisting women who wanted to leave brothels. (Hansard, 28 May 1918, Singapore (Prostitution))
Further questions exposed limits in the information offered. Hewins confirmed that women had been interviewed about their freedom in 1914, but had no precise information about their answers or whether brothel keepers were present. He also confirmed departmental knowledge of more than 2,000 women and 348 brothels in 1914, while denying that they were registered as such. Those were retrospective 1914 figures in a 1918 parliamentary exchange, not a new 1918 count. (Hansard, 28 May 1918, Singapore (Prostitution))
Influenza interrupts the working town
By 3 July, a widespread wave of sickness was disrupting Singapore's offices and commercial firms. The Straits Times described the illness in the contemporary language of influenza and dengue fever and reported that government and mercantile work was being impeded. The report's mixed terminology also preserves the uncertainty surrounding the illness at the time. (The Straits Times, 3 July 1918)
The Tribune's own production was affected. On 4 July, it asked readers to tolerate late or irregular deliveries for a few more days. Conditions at the newspaper had worsened because of the epidemic. (Malaya Tribune, 4 July 1918)
On 8 July, the Straits Times reported that influenza was still widespread in Singapore. Its short notice placed the local outbreak alongside reports from China and Japan. (The Straits Times, 8 July 1918)
By 25 July, an advertisement for the Sincere Dispensary at 231 South Bridge Road offered powders to people suffering from influenza. Its promise is not evidence that the powders prevented infection or cured the disease. (Malaya Tribune, 25 July 1918)
October: closures, protests and hospital restrictions
By 15 October, the Tribune was warning of an infectious illness associated with pneumonia which had reached Singapore after affecting other parts of Malaya. Its warning emphasised the ease with which illness spread. (Malaya Tribune, 15 October 1918)
Official warnings did not satisfy everyone. A letter published on 17 October acknowledged messages from both the Legislative Council and the municipality but complained that they offered too little practical help in preventing the disease's spread. (The Straits Times, 17 October 1918)
Hospital visiting was restricted by 19 October. At the request of the Principal Civil Medical Officer, the Straits Times announced that the General Hospital would admit no visitors except friends of seriously ill patients, and that these visitors needed special permits. (The Straits Times, 19 October 1918)
Parents were pressing for schools to close. Two letters published that day supported temporary suspension of classes. One discussed the risk when an infected pupil attended school; another, written explicitly by a parent, urged the authorities not to wait for further fatal cases. (The Straits Times, 19 October 1918)
The schools in the Settlement closed on Monday, 21 October, initially for one week. The Straits Times reported the closure the next day, together with the suspension of Boy Scout parades. A letter in the same issue asked why the government had not erected simple attap isolation huts. (The Straits Times, 22 October 1918)
Free medicines were available to the public at two government dispensaries during the epidemic. The locations named on 24 October were Jalan Klapa and North Canal Road. (The Straits Times, 24 October 1918)
Residents also complained about street conditions. One correspondent drew attention to accumulated dust on River Valley Road and Oxley Road. Another objected to sweepers filling the air with dust in parts of town. The second letter treated dust as a possible source of infection. (The Straits Times, 24 October 1918)
The Singapore Volunteer Corps suspended all drills and musketry until further orders because of the epidemic. Its 25 October notice also simplified sick-leave procedure: a certificate from any qualified medical practitioner would suffice, without countersignature by a volunteer-corps medical officer. (Malaya Tribune, 25 October 1918)
At the municipal meeting on 25 October, the commissioners heard an official statement on the influenza outbreak under W. Peel's presidency. The next day's newspaper also carried a letter asking for school closure to continue beyond the original week. The correspondent welcomed the first closure but wanted classes suspended until the epidemic had passed. (The Straits Times, 26 October 1918)
Patients, deaths and an uneven decline
Tan Tock Seng Hospital's annual report traced severe pneumonia cases to the third week of June. Six temporary dressers were engaged. Illness diminished by early August without disappearing, then increased again in the third week of September. The hospital placed the height of the second outbreak in late October and the first week of November. During that outbreak it admitted 547 patients, including 444 with the pneumonia form; 210 of those 444 died. A temporary assistant surgeon was engaged in October and a large temporary ward erected. (Straits Settlements Medical Report for 1918, pp. 1, 22)
The same annual medical report recorded 15,372 deaths from all causes in the Singapore Settlement in 1918, against an estimated mean population of 369,777. That is a settlement-wide annual total, neither a municipal-only count nor an influenza death toll. The hospital's outbreak figures and the settlement's annual deaths describe different populations and periods. (Straits Settlements Medical Report for 1918, pp. 1, 22)
The weekly mortality return published on 4 November recorded 692 deaths for the week ending 26 October: 492 males and 200 females. Its categories included 502 Chinese, 108 Malays, 68 Indians, two Europeans and seven Eurasians. These were the return's colonial classifications. The 692 was an all-cause total; influenza, pneumonia and other diseases were not interchangeable labels within the reporting system. (Malaya Tribune, 4 November 1918)
A retrospective notice in the United States Public Health Reports, published on 18 July 1919, listed 391 fatal influenza cases reported at Singapore between 29 September 1918 and 26 April 1919. Within that reporting period, weekly deaths rose from 37 in the week ending 19 October to 111 in the week ending 26 October, then fell to 87 in the week ending 2 November. (Public Health Reports, 18 July 1919, p. 1613)
The notice continued with 67, 35 and 19 deaths for the weeks ending 9, 16 and 23 November respectively. Its sequence shows the decline after the late-October peak in reported fatal influenza cases. The 391 covers the stated period extending into 1919, not the calendar year 1918, and it does not claim to count every death caused directly or indirectly by the pandemic. (Public Health Reports, 18 July 1919, p. 1613)
On 28 October, the Straits Times described the General Hospital's nursing staff as seriously handicapped by influenza. (The Straits Times, 28 October 1918)
Influenza had not simply ended when November began. The Straits Times reported on 6 November that it continued in Singapore and noted an unusually large number of funerals the previous day. That issue also printed influenza precautions originating in Singapore Command Orders. (The Straits Times, 6 November 1918)
On 18 November, A. W. Bean was reported to have spent the previous week laid up with influenza and to be recovering. (The Straits Times, 18 November 1918)
Relief events continue through the emergency
Plans for the year's Our Day appeal had been made before the October crisis. At a gathering of women at the YWCA on 23 September, Lady Evelyn Young outlined a Country Fair for the racecourse on 9 November. (Malaya Tribune, 25 September 1918)
The appeal drew contributions from organised communities. Reporting on 1 October, the Tribune described further promises at a meeting of the Arab community in the District Court on 26 September, in addition to $32,000 already secured. Its heading also drew attention to Indian donations. (Malaya Tribune, 1 October 1918)
The Our Day gymkhana went ahead at the racecourse on Saturday, 26 October. The Straits Times described it afterwards as a successful afternoon organised by the Sporting Club committee for the Red Cross. The Governor's absence was noted. (The Straits Times, 28 October 1918)
The Country Fair followed on Saturday, 9 November. In its report on 11 November, the Straits Times described the racecourse transformed from its usual racing appearance and attended by thousands. (The Straits Times, 11 November 1918)
Another Our Day event brought football to the Esplanade on 14 November. The Straits Chinese players won before a large crowd; the following day's report estimated at least a thousand spectators. Mrs Lee Choon Guan also acknowledged further gifts towards the Chinese stall at the Country Fair. (The Straits Times, 15 November 1918)
How the armistice news reached Singapore
The armistice was signed in Europe on the morning of 11 November, with hostilities to cease at eleven. The Straits Times of 12 November placed the first public indication in the town shortly before eight the previous evening. Its local report announced that Wednesday would be a public holiday. (The Straits Times, 12 November 1918)
The formal telegram setting out the terms reached the Governor at 8.30 in the morning on 13 November, according to the notification reproduced by the Tribune. That afternoon, people gathered on the Esplanade for the official announcement. A ring was formed on the lawn in front of the Cricket Club, marked at intervals by poles carrying flags. The Tribune described a crowd composed of many nationalities. (Malaya Tribune, 14 November 1918)
The Straits Times likewise dated the gathering to the previous evening in its 14 November account. The Governor publicly proclaimed the terms before the crowd occupying the southern part of the Esplanade. (The Straits Times, 14 November 1918)
The French community had celebrated on Tuesday evening, 12 November. The French consul joined a victory dinner at the Adelphi Hotel, described by the contributor to the Straits Times as including practically the whole local French community. (The Straits Times, 15 November 1918)
The holiday also had a destructive local event. On the morning of 13 November, fire burned out premises occupied by Australasian Films in Orchard Road. The Tribune reported that the blaze was already extensive when the Fire Brigade arrived. (Malaya Tribune, 14 November 1918)
Thanksgiving followed at St Andrew's Cathedral on Sunday, 17 November. The next day's report described a service for victory and peace. A separate notice reproduced congratulations sent on 15 November by the General Officer Commanding to Field Marshal Haig on behalf of regular troops and volunteers throughout Malaya. The message explicitly included volunteers of all races. (The Straits Times, 18 November 1918)
The Amateur Drawing Association held its own victory dinner on Saturday, 30 November. More than fifty members sat down to dinner, and the guests included Dr Lim Boon Keng and the Reverend William Murray. (Malaya Tribune, 2 December 1918)
After the celebrations: service, trade and exclusion
By the notice reported on 23 November, the Governor no longer proposed to call out further men for active service outside the colony under the Military Service Ordinance. In the commercial sphere, the American consul conveyed news that the armistice permitted relaxation of export restrictions on goods formerly reserved for war purposes, while warning that shipping tonnage remained a constraint. (The Straits Times, 23 November 1918)
On 25 November, the local P&O agent publicised the Indian government's intention to continue documentary requirements for people travelling to the United Kingdom. (Malaya Tribune, 25 November 1918)
Further military instructions followed. A notice published on 2 December said that War Office authority had been received to grant discharges to men already called out. Rubber auctions were also resuming after the interruption caused by the armistice celebrations. A report dated 21 November from Paterson, Simons, reprinted on 2 December, said no sale had been held in the preceding week and approximately 2,350 tons had been catalogued for the resumed auction, a record for the market. (Malaya Tribune, 2 December 1918)
Resumption did not bring unrestricted demand. Reports dated 13 December described a weak rubber auction, with manufacturing interests largely absent and many large buyers holding back. Barlow observed some improvement during the sale but said demand had never become strong. Lewis and Peat likewise described weakness continuing to the end. (Malaya Tribune, 16 December 1918)
The Singapore Chamber of Commerce committee passed a resolution on 27 November seeking to exclude Germans from the colony. It expressed a commercial body's demand, not an enacted law. (Malaya Tribune, 2 December 1918)
On Saturday, 14 December, decorated motorcars carried representatives of Indian, Ceylonese, Arab and Malay communities, including Javanese and Boyanese participants, through Singapore for Victory Day. The Tribune also reported speeches from a public meeting on 13 December favouring the exclusion of Germans for ten years. (Malaya Tribune, 16 December 1918)
Relief appeals also crossed the Indian Ocean. In December, a Singapore jeweller cabled 1,000 rupees for poor people in Galle District, Ceylon. The notice connected their distress with the recent influenza epidemic and high food prices. (Malaya Tribune, 16 December 1918)
December's practical agenda
Municipal committee actions reported on 2 December prohibited building on land at River Valley Road required for a new railway station. (Malaya Tribune, 2 December 1918)
Food supply remained an immediate concern at year's end. On 31 December, the Tribune reported a telegram received by the Acting Colonial Secretary from the Food Commissioner in Delhi. Instructions were being sent to Rangoon to permit rice shipments to the Straits Settlements up to 39,000 tons for the first quarter of 1919. The allowance covered the Straits Settlements, not Singapore alone, and described authorised prospective shipments rather than rice already landed. (Malaya Tribune, 31 December 1918)
Food administration had drawn criticism before the armistice. In an editorial on 10 October, the Tribune attacked the secrecy of Singapore's Food Control Committee. It complained that the committee's work was conducted out of public view. (Malaya Tribune, 10 October 1918)
Outram Road School's pupils contributed $185 to the Overseas Club Tobacco Fund. The Parsee Empire Theatrical Company staged Khoon-e-Jigar on 28 December, and the Amateur Musical and Dramatic Association held a Christmas concert that evening. Wesley Church and the Presbyterian Church advertised watchnight services for New Year's Eve. (Malaya Tribune, 31 December 1918)
Sources
Contemporary newspaper links lead to public issue indexes with article abstracts. Figures from the medical report and Public Health Reports retain their original geographical scope and reporting periods. Historical treatment claims are described as claims made at the time.
Continue to Singapore in 1919. Explore the Singapore history Atlas.