FORCE FOR PEACE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 114, 8 February 1937, Page 9

FORCE FOR PEACE

Sir Samuel Hoare on British Sea Power

AID OF AIR ARM Dominions’ Co-operation in Defence By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. London, February 5. “The world is in a greater condition of confusion to-day that at any time since the break-up of the Roman Empire,” declared the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Samuel Hoare. at Bradford. “Dr. Masaryk once said it was the British Empire’s mission to teach the world common sense. I believe it should to-day also exhibit fortitude and magnanimity at a time when national selfishness has become almost a religion and force is worshipped in many countries.” Referring to defence. Sir Samuel said it would lie a mistake to impose a rigid plan throughout the Empire. “We must tell them the position at the Imperial Conference and leave it to them to decide how far they are prepared or able to co-operate,” he said. “They will certainly find that any isolated system of defence is extravagant and inefficient. Imperial defence has always depended on big scale mobility, and that is why the Singapore base is essential for security.

“We are building virtually a new fleet when the cost of ships' has doubled or trebled since before the war. We can still build ships stronger, better, and- quicker than anybody else. Those ships will once again confirm the influence of British sea power.”

Sir Samuel Hoare deprecated wild statements that air power had superseded sea power, which, however, must make the fullest possible use of air power, extending the range of the fleet’s attack by hundreds of miles and ensuring that sea power again was the greatest force for peace throughout the world.

“We will make air power the most effective instrument of mobile defence throughout the Empire,” he said. “We will equip the army with an expeditionary force ready for any emergency and sufficiently strong to carry out its traditional duties. We need fortitude to fulfil these onerous tasks and also magnanimity throughout the world outside the Empire, even to old foes. We are bad haters, although we never abandon old friends, yet we are always ready to make new ones.” EAST INDIES AND SIAM Large Votes For Defence (Received February 7, 6.30 p.m.) Singapore, February 6. Information has been received from Batavia that the East Indies are spending 30.000,000 guilders on reinforcement of defences in 1937. including an expansion of defensive measures against aerial attack. Siam’s 1937 revenue is estimated at £10,000,000, of which nearly £3,000.000 has been allocated to the Defence Ministry. Naval vessels are at present being built for Siam at Italian and Japanese dockyards and bombing aeroplanes in America.

NEW GERMAN CRUISER

First of Three Launched

(Received February 7, 7.30 p.m.)

Hamburg, February 7.

The first of Germany’s three new 10,000-ton cruisers has been launched. It was named the Admiral Hippcr and its armament includes eight 8-inch guns. These cruisers, constructed on the lines of modern foreign cruisers, will fill a serious gap in the German Navy, for which they will supply an absolutely new weapon.