SINGAPORE BASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 213, 8 September 1923, Page 14

SINGAPORE BASE.

GREAT PROTECTIVE VALUE. Speaking at the farewell social at • Lower Hutt, Wellington, on Wednesday ■ night, ..Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.F., Leader ; of the Liberal-Labour party, referred to the great protective value of Singapore ) base to Now Zealand and Australia. Mr. . I Wiliord said that he was as euro as he ■ ! steod there that we must have some , J protective force near at hand. Any [great naval power that attacked this , I country or Australia could smaeh every i , I purt that we had. But if the British j Navy had a great base at Singapore, an.. : ■hostile fleet that came to attack us . ' could never hope to get back home i again past suc-h a base; and he wa» j I very sure that no great Power would I send its fleet to attack us if it could i not get iiack home. (Applause.) The i Labour party liad opposed the vote of 'J £100.1)00 last session as a contribution •J by Now Zealand to the Singapore base. ' ] But if we could defend our hearths anl ! hcaiies our rights and liberties, and all . that we held dear for £100,000. which i meant only 1/8 per head of the populaf tion. the people of New Zealand would i : not grudge \t (loud applause); and ii f . they found any Labour man who bo- » I grudged it, he would be very pleased to I let him have his 1/8. (Laughter and 1 applause.) I