SINGAPORE BASE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 153, 25 March 1925, Page 9

SINGAPORE BASE

VOTE PASSED BY HOUSE OF COMMONS

LABOUR ATTACK FAILS

“GESTURE OF GOODWILL TO THE DOMINIONS’

“A gesture of goodwill to the Dominions” is how the First Lord of the Admiralty referred to the decision to proceed with the construction of the naval base at Singapore. He declared that the base was not being constructed as an offence to Japan, and said the abandonment of it would mean giving up the possibility of defending the Indian and Pacific Oceans. A Labour motion to reduce the vote was defeated by 280 votes to 129.

By Temcgraph-—Press Association. Copyriont.

(Rec. March 24, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 23. Tn the House of Commons Sir Robert Horne (at one time Third Civil Lord of the Admiralty; said that Singapore had always been a base, and no foreign Power could take offence because we were keeping up-to-date a base which We had held for generations. If Japan • were reconsidering her alliances she would be far more impressed if Britain were strong and effective in the Pacific. Mr. C. A. Ammon (Lab.) urged that Australia and New Zealand were not unanimous in regard to Singapore. As proof of this he read a cable he had just received from the New Zealand Labour Party. “Let the Conservatives,” he said, “be honest and admit that they are expecting another war—(cries: “No!”)—that you are taking a itep to promote war—(cries: "No!”)—and that this step is actuated by fear of an Eastern menace.” > Lieutenant-Colonel R. Aplin (C.) pointed out that owing to the Washington Agreement, Britain was actually abandoning Hong Kong as an up-to-date base and withdrawing to Singapore. China, the sleeping giant, was being ignored in this controversy. Bringing Singapore up to date would be the friendliest act we could do to the United States, who was in severe danger in the Philippines.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

GOVERNMENT’S DECISION ATTACKED “WOULD WEAKEN EMPIRE” SAYS LABOUR LEADER (Rec. March 24, 7.40 p.nul London, March 23. At the report stage of the Naval Estimates in the House of Commons, Mr. J. R. MacDonald (Leader of the Labour Party) attacked the Government’s decision to proceed with the Singapore base. He declared that the Empire did not consist solely of Australia and New Zealand. The Singapore base would weaken the Empire because it would increase the war-making impulses of the world. He referred to a remark by a member of the House of Commons that Singapore was neces»ary in order to maintain the white

Australia policv. That meant, he said, that because Australia would persist in opposing Japanese immigration the result undoubtedly would be a military conflict between Japan and Australia, by which sooner or later the whole Empire would be involved in war. He suggested that the alternative was to submit the question of emigration to the League of Nations and declared that they now knew that if the International Court had to decide whether a Japanese-Australian conflict arising out of the immigration question was an international or a purely domestic affair, it would decide that immigration policy was purely a domestic matter for the country concerned. Thus, the first ground of battle was settled legally not by military means. He did not doubt that the effect of the base _ at Singapore would be to turn the mind of the East towards military preparations. Tn conclusion, be said that the base was calculated to upset many of our chances to preserve peace in the Far East. It would mean the creation of a Pacific fleet, with the probable scrapping of the Washington ratios and ever-increasing expenditure on armaments, which did not mean peace or security but inevitable' war.

Sir Robert Horne emphasised that Britain was bound by Imperial ties to Australia and New Zealand, and that this meant that Britain must render them effective aid if required to do so. Britain would be false to her trust if she did not complete the Singapore base, thereby rendering secure the great Imperial communications on winch the welfare of the country depended.

The First Lord of the Admiraltv, Mr. W. C. Bridgeman, replying to the debate, controverted suggestions that Australia and New Zealand had changed their minds on the subject of the Singapore base. He said that the fact that the base would take over ten years to complete constituted an argument in favour of beginning at once. No Government was able to foresee when the next war was coming. The Protocol, if it had been carried into effect, would have required a much larger Navy than we at present nossessed. The Singapore base was not being constructed as an offence to Japan. Abandonment of the base would'mean giving up the possibility of defending the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Much had been heard about gestures to unknown people. He preferred to make a gesture of goodwill to the Dominions.

An amendment moved by Mr. MacDonald for reduction of the vote was defeated by 280 votes to 129. after which the vote was agreed to.—Reuter.