SINGAPORE NAVAL BASE

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 105, 4 May 1923, Page 5

SINGAPORE NAVAL BASE

KEY TO THE PACIFIC. NO CHALLENGE TO ANY NATION LEAGUE NOT FLOUTED. <By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, May 3. The "Morning Post," in a leader, 1 declares: "The decision of the Government to develop a naval hase at Singapore, which, for us, is the strategic key to the Pacific, is heartily to be applauded. The base is not v challenge or a threat to any Power. It, is v mere recognition of our great interests in the East, interests inseparable from our duties to Australia and New Zealand. "tAs for the argument that the base is a flouting of the League of Nations, it would he well to consider what the League of Nations would be wortli if the naval strength of its most prominent member were reduced to nullity.' , — (A. and N.Z. Cable.) A fleet for the British Commonwealth, under centralised control, but distributed over the Seven Seas, and maintained proportionately to population by the Dominions, is a proposal that I will come before the Imperial Conference this year. I The Dominion's representatives at. the. Imperial Conference will be asked to | approve the scheme, which virtually abolishes the Australian Navy as an independent force. The idea is to form a gigantic. Imperial naval "pool." lo I which ihe Dominions will contribute j ; financially in proportion to population. I j The "pool ,, will be utilised to maintain i under n central conirul a number of j self-contained Ileets. stationed all over I the Empire. The Australian navy nnil those of the other Dominions will retain their identity in their own waters. A certain quota of ships wijl be included in an Imperial Pacilic fleet, the main base of which will probably be Singapore. The scheme is designed to enable the navy to be maintained at a higher state of efficiency, the Dominions benefiting by receiving, as they are evolved, the late«t types of capital ships, aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and monitors, in common with the Home, i .Mediterranean, and Atlantic squadrons. I The "pool" also is designed financially ito relieve the British taxpayer, who 'now contributes £58,000,000 annually to I the navy, a sum which is regarded as i excessive and inequitable. It is beI licved that the Admiralty has already , dispatched a carefully drawn up pro- j ' posal to Australia, and anticipates, counter-suggestions which will be < thoroughly thrashed out before the con- | ference assembles, thus enabling the | delegates to come prepared with a welldefined and mutually acceptable scheme. I The whole question lias been precipitated by the costly scheme for Singapore, which the economists in high quarters rigorously oppose, declaring that it is undisgnisedly designed to protect Aus- j tralia against a Japanese attack, which j strategists regard as unthinkable as ' as long as Singapore remains to harass communication. The BrilUh navy, alone would at present bear the first shock of a Pacific invasion, the success ! inviolability of Singapore. or failure of which would depend on the I The greatest difficulty facing the Ad- ! miralty is that of placing its views • before'the Australian Government with- i out offence. It. realises that, it is a delicate matter to deal with politicians. who have a reputation for hyper- | I sensitiveness: nevertheless. it is j thought that Australians will not care Ito stand idly by and watch Britain doing their police work without con- j tributing to Ihe cost. In the event, of : the adoption of the Imperial navy J I scheme, the Dominions' personnel will ! be solely employed, and will be trained , in home waters. Us advocates say that (he scheme will j mark a definite step towards the ob- j iective of a Commonwealth of the! British nations. Sir Percy Scott re- j cently said. "that, if true, the proposal I comes as a surprise." "Tn my time, the j Admiralty." lie said, "never thought i much about the future. What all the i Dominions, and particularly Australia, j have got to have, is adequate air defence." He hesitated to say whether Royal Air Force detachments, cooperating as suggested with the Imperial Kavy. would suffice, and he was not prepared further to discuss the matter until he was more completely informed. On the completeness of the I details the success of any naval venture j depended.