THE SINGAPORE BASE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19819, 6 January 1930, Page 11

THE SINGAPORE BASE.

TRUNCATED SCHEME.

QUESTIONS IN COMMONS. i'fllll OUB. OK', (""OHHBSrON'PT.KT ! LONDON, November 21 In the HooMi of Oommoni* yesterday Mr AlcximW < »'V>t Wd of tho Admiralty. .11 reply to Lieut.-Unnimnn. der Kenworthy (Hull Central) Mated that Ihor ■ was no hpecific break < inut-o in i lu> mam contract for the Singapore uav.il U;i c, but that. Ui'>, not to mjv that the Admiralty had no power to aI!T or 111 cm 111y works under tin; contract Mr 1). (.!. Niuierville ( W ille'den) <laniih from mni r.ictor it the contract 1> Mr Alexander. 1 would liKc <•> ask the Hoir;e not to discus* this in detail, ill view .'I any possible le-si! piiMt.oti tli.it- tuny iiri~e. Sir Frederick Penny t, Kmgston-oti-Thamosi: Do 'lie (bivornnionl, consider llicv will be liable to pay compensation :-' Mr Alexander: Obviously it would be improper tor me to answer a question lik-' that. Keplving; to Mr Lambert (South Mohonb'.Mr Alexander .slated that the total estimated tvisi, of the truncated scheme f<tr the Simi-ipore naval base was 1:8,700,000. inducling the cost of the floating dock 'lb. total expenditure to date was Tins excluded tbe cost, of the >itc, which wnt. presented bv the (.ovmimnil of t,h« Straits Settlement. Contributions actually received from tho Dominions and Colonies amounted to £1,194,000, leaving £KSD.OOO as a charge on navnl v-itcs un to date. Further Dominion and Colonial contributions amounting to i'.1.110.000 were promised, leaving, an ultimate net, charge on naval vote* ot .cr;,2f>o.OiX> Mr Aloxnu b r inform.*l Sir fiodirev DalrvmpleW bite (Soiilhporn that of the contribution of £2,<>oo,<XK> offered bv the (Un eriimcnt of the Federated Malay State*.. £1,200.0(10 had been recoivod to date, and the whole of the amount had been .spent. Not to bo Juggled With. Vice-Admiral A. P. Davidson, R.N. (ret.), in « letter to •"The Tunes" says;--"Tho Imperial necessity of the Singapore Rase is convincing enough t» everybody who realises the vita) importance of safeguarding our trade routes in time of war, ami not letting down Australia, New Zealand, and the Malay States, who have contributed towards the cost of this; base, and do not understand the slowing-down process. There is, however, a section of public opinion that considers the Singapore Rase unnecessary on account of peaeo pacts, which render war chimerical; but can the most eonfirmed optimist, in a I Hop i a of pence say that n state of affairs may not arise, not war, of course, but just un"st, when it may become essential to dispatch capital ships to protect British interests s.nd lives in Far h'asttrn waters ? "If this is admitted, the lack of Bingapor© Rase would mean thai for docking or any heavy repairs caused by some mishap at sea, like collision or grounding, n. capital ship would have to proceed some 4000 mi lea te» Malta, and ho immobolised for a Ion*? period, assuming she is in the In dian Ocean when a mishap occur*; if further east the worse become* the situation. In the event of a prolonged stay in Eastern waters, however great, the skill of the ship's officers, docking becomes essential, or the fuel bill mounts up, beside* reducing the speed of the ship. "Until the time comes when it in ruled out that in no circumstance* will capita] ships be ernpJoved to profeet British lives and interest* in Eastern water*, the necessity of a. base at Singapore holds the field. I submit whatever process of pruning and disarmaments is carried out by the present Government, Singapore Baa* should not be juggled with "