AT THE CAPE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 120, 22 May 1937, Page 17

AT THE CAPE.

BRITISH NAVAL BASE.

MINISTER'S EXPLANATION.

CAPETOWN*. The future of Simonstown, the naval port il miles from Capetown, ae a base for the British Navy in South Africa, w«s discussed by Mr. O. Pirow, Defence Minister, when he addressed a meeting there of the United party. He announced that the Union Government intended carrying out the 1920 agreement with the British Government both in the letter and in the spirit.

"The question of co-operation between the South African air arm and the fleet here." he added, "will be one of the firet problems to be tackled in the near future."

The position, Mr. Pirow continued, wae perfectly clear. It went back as far aa 1922, when General Smuts made an agreement with the British Government that Simonstown, as long as the British Navy wanted it—and apparently they wanted it indefinitely—would be regarded by South Africa as an Imperial base, and defended by the Union against any enemy.

The Pact Government, which took over in 1924, approved that agreement, and began to spend money on carrying it out. The Pact Government had consultations with the Committee of Imperial Defence, and a detailed defence scheme wae agreed upon, which covered Simonstown in the first instance and other Union ports as a whole.

"So our present position is based on a definite, solemn and honourable agreement with the British Government."

This statement wae greeted -with. cheers.

Mr. Pirow said he could hardly be expected at a public meeting to disclose what the details of the defence scheme were, but he could say that the defence of the port was covered by a scheme which had been worked out, not by South Africa, but by the Committee of Imperial Defence.