NAVY EMPIRE'S FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 173, 23 July 1936, Page 7

NAVY EMPIRE'S FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE.

BIG SHIPS NEEDED. First Lord and Position of Dominions. HINT TOR MORE ASSISTANCE. British Official Wireless. (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, July 22. During a speech before the Empire Parliamentary Association, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Samuel Hoare, stated that "even the greatest units of the Empire, such as Australia, could not long resist attack by a powerful nation. The only security of such a unit lies in sea power. The British Navy must always be maintained at a level enabling it to reinforce any unit of the Empire likely to be threatened.

"Much controversy went on as to the value of battleships," he continued, "but the Admiralty remains convinced that there is no answer to a big ship except a big ship. Air power will not prevent an enemy sending out warships and playing havoc with trade if the Empire's Navy is not in a position to round up and destroy them.

"Aircraft lias less endurance and less range than ships. While Britain should make the fullest use of air power, protection of trade still depends on the Navy. No amount of local defence by air or sea could protect the commercial arteries of even the largest Dominion, and application of a local remedy to a widespread disorder would be foredoomed to failure.

"Maintenance of a powerful and highly mobile fleet is essential for the dual purpose of protecting the worldwide interests of the Empire and succouring any units threatened with attack beyond the power of local resistance.

"The defence burden is falling heavily on the United Kingdom," he said. "The deep interest of other units of the Empire may suggest to them ways of sharing the burden.

"One direction is that of local defence. While it is true that a local force will not protect them against a strong enemy, the capacity.to repel a comparatively small scale attack before the arrival of naval reinforcements should be achieved." Great Tasks Ahead. In his speech, Sir Samuel Hoare said recent events had demonstrated that naval strength which would have proved adequate in the past might no longer be sufficient to fulfil the demands of collective action and unlimited liability in the present. The future British rearmament programme was no more and no less than proof of Britain's determination to provide both .for self-defence against an aggressor and the playing of her part in enforcement by common action of international obligations.

Sir Samuel admitted that the advance in air power had introduced many new problems, but declared that the wellestablished doctrine that Britain depended for her existence primarily 011 sea power remained unaffected.

Referring to the Singapore naval base, he said the fortunes of the British peoples and interests in the Far East would always be of paramount importance, and the work "oeing carried out at Singapore was a vital contribution to the collective security of the British Commonwealth. The naval base was regarded by some as a menace, by others as a futile extravagance. It was neither one nor the other.

After describing three tasks involved in the Government's programme of rebuilding the Fleet, training personnel and modernising bases, the First Lord

said that in fulfilment of these tasks he looked with confidence for co-operation from the whole British Commonwealth of Nations.