THE SINGAPORE BASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 167, 16 July 1924, Page 6

THE SINGAPORE BASE.

REPLY TO LABOUR CRITIC. DOMINION'S STATUS LOWERED. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Mr. A. Harris replied in the House tonight to criticism of the Singapore base by Mr. Mcllvride (Labour member for Napier), who contended that the Singapore base was necessary only for the benefit of capitalists who sought to tap the resources of China, to control British interests in India and Egypt, and to provide work for armament rings. Mr. Harris said every expert advising the British Government had advocated the establishment of a base at Singapore as absolutely necessary for the maintenance and safety of the British Empire. He traced the decline of the British naval programme from 1906, and said we had declined from a twoPower standard until to-day it was doubtful whether we had even a onePower standard. To-day, for the first time, there was a disunited British Empire in connection with defence. America and Japan were spending twenty to thirty millions in the establishment of naval bases in the Pacific, but the greatest Empire in the world had no naval base in the whole of the Pacific. That showed the necessity for such a base. Repeated cries of "Hear, hear," and subdued cheers were given by Labour members when Mr. Harris said he had been pained to hear British Labour MJP.'s (including Mr. Thomas (Secretary for State to the Colonies), quoted the New Zealand Labour party's cablegram opposing the Singapore base, and quoting it as the opinion .of the people of the Dominion. He doubted if there were a hundred thousand Xew Zealanders who held the Labour party's view. Abandonment of the scheme left three-quarters of the Empire defenceless, aud the status of New Zealand had been lowered. What had taken place? We were in 1914 admitted as full partners of the Empire, and discussed Imperial matters. Mr. P. Eraser: And we only sent Home a second-class commercial traveller. Mr. Harris: To-day we are not consulted at all.