SINGAPORE PLANS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 102, 4 May 1925, Page 4

SINGAPORE PLANS

THE FLOATING DOCK

HELP FROM THE DOMINIONS

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE,

(PROM OUR OWN COttRESPONDBNT.) LONDON, 26th March. • In presenting the Navy Estimates to the House of Commons, Mr. Bridgeman (First Lord of the Admiralty) dealt at some length with the question of the Singapore Docks. He said the Admiralty had considered the question of the site again, and the preponderating weight of evidence was in favour of the site in the old straights between the island and the peninsula of Johore. The present programme, so far decided on, was to set up a floating dock, which would tak« about three years to complete. They were going to make use of one of the German floating docks which came into their possession, and which would have to be extended. The full programme, including the graving dock, was still under consideration. It was originally estimated at £11,000,000. The floating dock and the graving dock, with the £1.200,000. The Admiralty was goimr again into the question of the graving „ f, l? jts extenfc' and the buildwhf, attaf' led t0 » and the time over Z^A £ 1 ,construc tion should be spread. But at any rate, nothing could be done in the way of a beginning for a j cdi* or two. . The expenditure on the floating dock to PTwSS? WQS ei timat«d to amount to £757,000 and the work would be finished m three years. The floating dock was to have » n extension made to it costing £310,000, and there was a certain sum provided in the general estimates for supervisors, including those who supervised the work us it proceed cd. The figure given for the cost of Singapore during the year of which they were speaking was £204,000, but 000y W. Pf°r, lded hl the estimat c £260,----only be deducted from the expenditure in future years, and, therefore, if they could spend £250,000, it would be an fc^H That sum had bee» contri-»nrf-t I H°ng Kon S for this Pnrpwe, A 't WB not sPent it would be wasted. He would like to B ay how grate! M they, were to Hong Kong fo? the oubhc-spinted way i n which that colDrnfitl f c?™.io™*"l and given the' profits of shipping control for this purpose (Cheers.) They were also very grateful to the Straits Settlements for having given the land necessary, at I 7% a 6,0 00- Australia and New trihn? ? l?n PrePared *o make contnbutions to Singapore, but when that proposal was dropped they decided to spend the money which they had intended to contribute as well as other money on cruisers. . J DOMINIONS' CONTRIBUTIONS. Mr. Ammon (Labour) asked if they as To tt aland ) had c c!,>?>'g«l their minds as to the value of Singapore Mr Bridgeman said it did 'not, as he would be able to show. He went on to quote passages from a statement by Mr Bruce oa 6th March in which he said that to Australia and New Zealand, and to all the Empire in the East, the base was vital Australia without such a base could only regard herself as deserted by the Empiro . . ■ J Mr. Thomas asked if, so far as monetary considerations were concerned Australia and New Zealand were not less favourable to the Sinjapore Base than they were three years ago.. . Mr. Bridgeman: "Because they have devoted the money which you might have had for Singapore to building cruisers instead." Mr. Bridgeman went on to confute the arguments that the Singapore proposal was an offence to Japan. He regarded the institution of the base as being m the nature of an insurance. Ihe only reason why the Labour Party had refused to go on with the scheme was to make a gesture which would lead to some co-operation in disarmament from other countries: Ho could not see to what co-operation that gesture had led. As the American said; it often happened that when you were cooperating with people you found they did the operating and you did the cooing (Laughter.) There' was a good deal of operating going on in other places. To talk about this country's being provocative is sheer nonsense. Out of the 352 warships building or projected, our contribution is 20. We have no lost of conquest. We have no desire for more territory. All w e want 'is peace to protect and develop the trade and the territory which we'have got. No gesture is needed to show that Great Britain is a peaceable country. What could she i possibly gam by aggression against any. I body? War has no attraction for us. In recent years we have seen too much of the misery which accompanies the glamour and glory of arms. The world will not think any better of us for making gestures which would weaken us if we had to go to negotiations on disarmament. (Cheers.) MR. MACDONALD'S OPPOSITION. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald considered the decision of the Government in regard to Singapore was absolutely deplorable It was the psychological efect on the Japanese people that had to b e reckoned with. Moreover, Russia had come into the problem of the East with far greater effect than she entered the problem of the West. There was a movement to summon a Pan-Oriental Conference for the consideration of defensive and offensive and nationalist aims on the part of great nations of the East, including China and Japan. An ill-considered move in Singapore might upset the whole equanimity of the East. He hoped that the House would not live under the delusion that this was merely a dockyard for the convenience of existing ships. Mr. Bruce's conception of Singapore was something like a Portsmouth in the Pacific, with capital ships, with a striking force. No brain had yet devised a defensive force that was not also an offensive one. Singapore meant that we should have to create a new centre, not to repair ships that vere . passing, but a new centre where ships were to be anchored, and the moment it was built it would be transformed into a naval dockyard which was independent in itself, which would have its own supplies and fortifications. If it was merely a convenience, a sort of police headquarters, he did not know that he would have bothered very much about it, though it .wus unnecessary and extravagant. But members who voted for Singapore must tuke upon themselves the responsibility of moving for a complete revolution m the disposition and strategy of the British Fleet. If wo oould not get the nations to give us security in the nature of peace then there is nothing for it but to fight another war. and we should have to make our preparations for it. But he did not believe Ihul wo had reached that deplorable, position. But- by these policies, commitment*, and developments we were drifting nearer and nearer to that decided point. His parly would do cverv-. wues they could to .crevent th© natioc

ah^H f °"Cc aSain in the ovTno^ Wai ter/ a" and doomed to 8° it mil?* merely to pili"and miaery. but it might be even to destruction itself. WHITE AUSTRALIA for the Royal A ir Force, but it hai not lyWo^f6 Nayy ' aAd -- -tdlik°eiy wdo so for a very long tim P Tf JM absoutely impossible for? the Roy" Air Service to defend our trade routes force Hy °Ught^ haVC its ow« wrce. He was disappointed with the cruiser construction programme The wT g T« W3S for "^cruisers. He welc Omed the fact that Singapore w'J be ingproceed ed with. .It, strategic imto thl n aS- *rsfc bf all as a safeguard rL t- D°minions .'; and secondly as a protection to. trade routes. It was very praiseworthy for Australia to adopt a co^lesCV-norll^r^ should decide to pursue a.i emWfo? fej nto, that 4»toy and back? it up by other than peaceful means, the British Navy would be unable to defend Austraha unless it had a base at Singapore. He considered that the vZig naval ofheer of to-day was rather I finf specimen, of humanity. He was of an amatory and inflammatory nature, and in such time as he could spare from the exercise of his duties he was usually i n Jove (Laughter.) Therefore, he wel-' corned the prospect that a marriage allowance would be given to him