THE SINGAPORE BASE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 126, 1 June 1927, Page 8

THE SINGAPORE BASE

"A Socialist and one- ; time secretary of a League o£ Nations Union" criticises Mr. H. X Holland's Cobden speech referring to the Singapore Base. "Mr. Holland (he writes) suggests that the building of Singa-; pore would provide' Japanese militarists with an incentive to build a rival base. Continuing his speech he is reported to have said 'Our Naval Base would probably- be obsolete before. completion.' the natural conclusion is, should Japan follow our example her base would be obsolete before completion also. The net result, assuming the.probabilities to be correct, would be two obsolete rival naval bases; surely more provocative of peace than war. Mr. Coates is accused of ignoring the fact that when talking of Singapore they had Japan their recent Ally,' in the World War, in mind as a potential enemy. Why does Mr. Holland ignore the fact that after the capture of Kiao-Chow in November, 1914, by Japan, she ceased to be of service to us, her continued neutrality being purchased by the Allies acceding to her demands for concessions in China, especially Shantung. Inability to counteract at the time the famous Japanese 21 demands presented to China, resulted in the Washington Conference. The limitation of armaments being a secondary matter." The correspondent quotes from the 21 demands to show that some of them attacked the interests of Britain, with whom Japan was still in alliance, and further that in 1916 ,Japan concluded a secret Treaty with Russia in contravention of the Alliance. "The head of the Labour Party would have us lay down our arms and trust in agreements to secure peace and maintain that Utopian state of co-opera-tion between nations in spite of, or in ignorance of, the above facts." The British Empire now possesses sufficient land to feed her people, but she mußt provide for their protection by such works as the Smgabore Base. "Just previous to 1914, New Zealand's Premier on his return from England, cave £1,000,000 for the Navy; to be hauled over the coals by the Opposition. That Opposition is now in power. Mr. Coates on his return from England gives the same amount to Singapore. History repeats itself. When the Labour Party forms a defence policy more in tune with the wishes of 90 per cent, of our people, it may attain power—not until."