SEA POWER

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 255, 24 July 1936, Page 11

SEA POWER

Essential to Britain’s Existence FIRST LORD’S SPEECH Empire Might Help Bear Defence Burden (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, July 22. In a speech at a meeting of the Empire Parliamentary Association, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Samuel Hoare, said that recent events 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 and the future. The British rearmament programme was no more and no less than proof of Britain’s determination to provide for both selfdefence against an aggressor and the playing of its part in the enforcemenr by common action of international obligations.

Sir Samuel admitted that the advance of air power introduced many new problems, but declared that the well-established doctrine that Britain depended for existence primarily on sea power remained unaffected. Referring to the Singapore naval base, he said that the fortunes of the British peoples and interests in the Far East would always be of paramount importance, and the work be ing 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 and by others as a futile extravagance. It was neither one nor 'the other. Co-operation of Empire

After describing the three tasks involved in the : Government’s programme—the rebuilding of the Fleet, the training of personnel, and the modernising of bases —Sir Samuel Hoare said that in the fulfilment of these tasks he looked with confidence for the co-operation of the whole British Commonwealth of Nations. Even the greatest units of the Empire, such as Australia, could not long resist attack by a powerful nation. The only security for such a unit lay in sea power, and the British Navy must always be maintained at a level enabling it to reinforce any unit of the Empire which was likely to be threatened. There was much controversy as to the value of battleships, but the Admiralty remained convinced that there was no answer to big ships except by big ships. Air , power would not prevent an enemy sending out warships and playing havoc with trade if the Empire Navy was not in a position to round up and destroy them. Aircraft, had less endurance and less range than ships. While Britain should make the fullest use of air power, the protection of trade still depended on the Navy. No amount of local defence by air or sea could protect the commercial artei’ies of even the largest Dominion, and the application of a local remedy to widespread disorder would be foredoomed to failure Powerful Navy Essential. The maintenance of a powerful and highly mobile fleet was essential for the dual purposes of protecting the world-wide interests of the Empire and succouring any units that were threatened with attack beyond the power of local resistance.

“The defence burden is falling heavily on the United Kingdom,” said Sir Samuel, “and the deep interest of the other units of the Empire may suggest to them ways of sharing the burden. One direction is by local defence. While it is true that a local force would not protect them against a strong enemy, capacity to repel a comparatively small-scale attack before the arrival of naval reinforcements should be achieved.” BASE AT CAPE TOWN (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, July 22. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty staled at question time in the House of Commons that he was not aware that any decision had been taken by the South African Government to develop the naval base at Cape. Town.