SINGAPORE BASE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19112, 22 September 1927, Page 9

SINGAPORE BASE.

NEW ZEALAND'S SHARE

DEBATE IN HOUSE.

LABOUR PARTY OPPOSED TO SCHEME. \ (rRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, September 21. The House of Representatives was given an opportunity this evening of discussing the proposals of the Government that New Zealand should subscribe a .million towards the cost of the' Singapore Naval Base. The Prime Minister, in moving that the House approve the proposals of the Government, referred members to his own statement to House last year, prior to leaving for England to attend the Imperial Conference, when, after the proposals were outlined. further action was deferred pending discussion of tho whole subject of defence by the Empiro representatives. It was hoped then to be able to arrive at a better conception of what would be the form in which assistance could best bo rendered in the matter of Empire naval defence. Mr Coates sketched briefly New Zealand's policy in tho past. Generally speaking, he .said, the people of this Dominion were anxious to know that it had been carrying a reasonable share of the burden of naval defence. The cost per capita in Australia and New Zealand in relation to the Mother Country worked out as follows: United Kingdom 255, Australia 17s, New Zealand Bs. The question for consideration now was whether New Zealand was bearing a fair share of the burden. The Government proposed to assist by contributing to the cost of the Singapore Naval Base, and by undertaking certain works in preparation for the maintenance of a heavier type of cruiser in these waters when tho Singapore Base was ready. Tho provision would add roughly about 2s per head to the cost of Empire defencein New Zealand.

There would be paid an annual contribution of £125,000 towards the cost of the construction of the Singaxjore Naval Base. This construction would continue for eight years, and would be paid out of the Consolidated Fund, not from loan. This decision was reached after the fullest information had been obtained from the authorities at Home. Singapore had been under discussion for years. It was not included in the Washington Agreement, which had agreed that capital ships were necessary for Pacific defence. Australia and New Zealand approved that view. The British Government had decided to construct the baseThen the Mac Donald Government had dropped the project, but when the Baldwin Government came into office again it resolved to reinstate the base. Australia had consistently supported Singapore, and when the scheme was abandoned by the Mac Donald Government she decided upon an independent course, ordering cruisers of her own, and for this reason was unable at present to make a financial contribution to Singapore. At the ' Imperial Conference Mr Baldwin stated that no better contribution could be made by the Dominions than by assisting in the construction of tliQ Singapore Base. If the Washington Treaty had not provided for capital ships in the Pacific, the Singapore rase would not have,been necessary. Capital ships were certainly needed for the defence of the Empire trade routes. New Zealand was the only country of the Empire which had made a definite statement of the nature of the contribution it was prepared to make. In this matter there was no question of affronting Japan, who not so long ago had sent ships to convoy our men across the seas when they went to help to protect the best ideals of the human race.

The Prime Minister said he had every hope that the League of Nations would eventually outlaw war, but meantime they could not neglect measures for the protection of 4rade routes. He hoped thes* House would give unanimous assent to the proposal,' as it would, he believed, thus endorse the general opinion of the people of this country.

Leader of the Opposition,

Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Opposition) said the House should first of all consider the effect of such a proposal on the peace of the world. The MacDonald Government's action had been misrepresented. Mr McDonald had contended that the Singapore base would be a serious mistake. Labour Governments in all British countries had opposed Singapore, because they recognised in it an incentive to warlike possibilities. The payment of the Singapore instalments out of the. Consolidated Fund would entail a heavy burden on the people of this country. Many eminent British naval authorities condemned the Singapore project, and quite a number of leading newspapers that could not by any means be regarded as pro-Labour had strongly opposed it, as suggesting that Japan was regarded as a potential enemy. In March last Mr Bridgeman, First Lord of the Admiralty, when submitting the Naval Estimates, stated that the cost of the Singapore base, exclusive of a floating dock, would be £7,750,000. It ivas proposed that New Zealand should contribute one million—or more than oneeighth. This proposal had not been endorsed by any of the peoples of the British Empire. Mr Bridgeman said that £619,000 would be required for work in connexion with the base, of Tyhich the British taxpayers would be asked to pay only £43,500; the Straits Settlement and the Malay States, with New Zealand, would find the balance. The people of the eastern colonies bad no say in what was proposed to be done; that was controlled by the Governors, who were British officials, reflect- ! ing British ideas. The British people themselves at last General Election showed a majority against the project, and even in New Zealand in 1925 the Prime Minister, though he secured so large a majority of members, did not have a majority of votes of the people. Mr Holland criticised the manner m which the contributions were to be made, contending that New Zealand wa3 proposing to give an amount out of all proportion to that to be found by all other parts of the Empire. Singapore would be a violation of the idea which brought the "Washington Conference into being. He recognised that Britain cotiM not disarm wholesale while other nations were building ships. Mr Mac Donald had made a wonderful gesture for peace, but the proposal before the House was essentially a gesture of war. The war of the future would be fought in laboratories, and the salvation of the world would be not in armaments, but in perfecting international relationships. When this was achieved, the warmakers and war itself would be outlawed. The Labour Party's attitude in relation to Singapore was based on a desire for the peace of the world, and thus it must vote against the proposal. Security Our First Concern. The Hon. Mr Rolleston (Minister for Defence) said that New Zealand's

consideration must be the security of tUa Empire, aud how far New Zealand could support measuree to preserve that security. We had been asked to Rive assistance which, it hail been suggested by Mr Baldwin, could best be done by contributing to tba Singapore Base. Mr Walter Nash, a leaaiug New Zealand Labour mnn, speaking at the Institute of Pacific Relations Congress in Honolulu, had summed up the position by saying that it a naval base was to bo provided, probably Singapore was the best site, and that if the matter wore submitted to the people of New Zealand, it would be generally approved. Mr Rolloston said there nad been a basa at Singapore for many years, and it was only in recent years, when ships were enlarged, that new docks there became necessary. What was proposed was simply to restore the status of some years ago. Australia, though she wa« not contributing to Singapore, was doing her part in another war for Empire defence. Empire Defence. Mr Rolleston said he agreed that the way to bring about fuinl inteni:'.tii>n:ii peace was to improve relations rmong the peoples of the world. He was not cast down by the apparent failure <1 the recent Disarmament Conference, as conferences of such a nature point the way to success in the* future to similar conferences. .Meantime, however, it would nofer dn fc.r Britain to neglect to keep her Navy at sucli strength that slio would revaiti command of the Bea. New Zealand's expenditure last year on naval and military work was £1,020,297, and this year's Estimates provided for a total of £1,083,321, including the £ 125.000 for Singapore.

Nationalist Leader's Support. Mr Forbes (Hurunui) said lhal :;s Leader of the National Party he associated himself whole-heartedly with the Prime Minister for the proposal. Uo felt it to bo a good sign that even among the Labour Party recognised that defence v»as a. subject tliat could not be dismissed summarily. New Zealand owed a great ileal to England for defence, owing to its isolated position. Mr Forbes asked why Singapore should be regarded as an act cf ho.'tility towards Japan, when such objectors said not a word about Japan's building of ships as possibly inimical to New Zealand. Wc had Exclusion Acts, directed against Asiatics, and to maintain those Acts, if they were challenged by any Asiatic country we must see that we were in a position to maintain those laws, and Singapore v one of the best means to this end. The millennium had not oome yet, and we must deal with the situation as is was. We must do all we could to lift some of the burden that was m> heavily on Britain. The discussion on defence at the Imperial Conference was a guarantee to the people of this Country that the matter had been so. thoroughly investigated that the Singapore scheme was fully justified, and tliat the proposed contribution from Now Zenland was not too great. Mr Tapley (Dunedin North) said the Labour idea seemed to be that .British countries should dispense with ships and soldiers, and place themselves at the mercy of any potential enemy. Singapore was of greater value to Australia And New Zealand than to any other part of the Empire. The late war had emphasised the value of sufficient naval strength for protection of sea routes. He strongly supported tlio proposed contribution, which was not. merely financial, but was very properly also sentimental. Sir Joseph Ward Offers Congratulations. Sir Joseph Ward (Invcrcargill) congratulated the Prime Minister upon the manner in which he had carried out his duties at the Imperial Conference. Ho then dealt with the important services rendered by tho Navy during the war as convoy to troops, and In protecting trade routes. In the event, of another war, which was quite possible, we must have some naval base In Pacific waters. Exports told us that Singapore was tho most suitable site for that base, and we shpuld accopt the advice .tendered by them.

For the Maoris. Sir Maui Pomare, speaking an a representative of the Maori race, said his people had enjoyed protection and safety since tliejr entered by troaty the British Empire. For 43 yeark New Zealand paid nothing towards the upkeep o£ the British Navy, and lie felt (the time had arrived when we should do our share in this respect, and not rely upon the efforts of olher taxpayers. The question was, "Are we going to take on the responsibilities as well as the privileges .of bping British citizens?" If we were going to play the game, we must bo prepared to pay our share.

"A Gesture of War."

Mr Howard (Christchurch South) said that when Mr Waiter Nash spoke at Honolulu he was trying to give an unbiased statement of the position as it existed in New Zealand, and was not necessarily expressing his own opinions. It had been said "the Great War was brought about by the European race for armaments." That being, so, we should check this race for armaments, which included the building of naval bases. If the Singapore base did not- break the letter of the Washington Treaty, it certainly broke its spirit. It was the wrong time to make a gesture of war, and for that reason he would vote against the motion before the House.

Mr D. Jones (Ellesmere) said that purely as a matter of insurance New Zealand should support the Singapore base. The Hon. Mr Buddo aaid the nation which put np a reasonable amount of defence would be the nation that would stand longest, and probably would do the greatest good for humanity. On a division the Prime Minister's motion was carried by 51 rrotes to 10.