NOT OFFENSIVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 65, 17 March 1936, Page 7

NOT OFFENSIVE.

SINGAPORE BASE.

Necessary to Protection of Dominions. BRITISH SUBMARINE SECRET. United Press Association. —Copyright. (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. Mr. Winston Churchill, speaking iu the House of Commons debate on the Navy Estimates, said the Singapore naval base was about as far from Japan as Portsmouth was from New York. Singapore has never been and could not be an offensive base against Japan* It was a defensive precaution for the British Empire, as well as a link or stepping-stone with Australia and New Zealand. He hoped the Government would proceed with the Singapore base with all speed. Sir Roger Keycs (Con., Portsmouth) said it was impossible to operate the Fleet to the east of the Red Sea without a base at Singapore. "Singapore is the outlying base of our great Dominions in the East. Most of the money spent prior to the shutting dtwn of the base by the Labour Government was provided by New Zealand, and quite a large sum by Malaya and Hongkong, showing that they realised the great need of a base." Mr. S. S. de Chair (Con., south-west Norfolk) hoped he was not revealing a secret by saying that Britain possessed an almost fool-proof, anti-submarine device operating on the system of reflector ray, the effect of which was that no submarine could come within torpedo firing range of a ship without danger of instant destruction. The Admiralty had also constructed an anti-aircraft ship capable of a terrific volume of fire in defence of a harbour or other ships.