SINGAPORE BASE

Evening Star, Issue 19634, 13 August 1927, Page 2

SINGAPORE BASE

ITS IMPORTANCE TO NEW ZEALAND VIVID SURVEY BY MR WILFORD THE MENACE OE JAPAN. [From Our Parliamentary Rei’oetksJ WELLINGTON, August 12. “It is no use trying to fight a maneating tiger by attempting to teach him the benefits of vegetarianism,” declared Mr 'Wilford (Hutt), in tha House, in the course of a vividly phrased speech in support of the principle of establishing a naval base at Singapore. Was it (be asked) waste of money to secure safety, even though no shot plight be fired? It was all very well to try and assure ourselves that everything was all right, but the plain fact was that in 1921 Japan had a population of 76,000,000, and that population was increasing by 700,000 annually. The whole of Japan’s export and import trade in 1921 was less than that of New Zealand and Australia together. Japan supply had to find some new place for her people. Her policy wai that either she should bo treated on an equality with the other white races of the world or that she play her own game as a maritime nation. What would happen to us if Japan were to secure Singapore? Wo should have no chance of relief from a British force for many weeks in the event of a raid. SIX SECRET POINTS. “It has been'said that Japan placed all her cards on the table,” continued Mr Willord. “In reality she did not do so. In 1916 j a very critical year, when the nations of the world were at each other’s throats, Japan pui hei twenty-one points to China, but sha kept secret six clauses which were never published. Those clauses were;— “ (1) The Chinese Governmnet shall employ influential Japanese advisers in political, financial, and military affairs. “ (2) Japanese hospitals, churches, and s-chools in the interior of Chins shall be granted the right to own lands. “ (3) Insomuch as the Japanese and Chinese Governments had had many causes of dispute between Chinese and Japanese police, the settlement of which caused no little misunderstanding, it is lor that reason necessary that the police departments in important places in China shall be jointly adminis tored by Japanese and Chinese, or that the police departments in such placet shall employ numerous Japanese, sc that they may at the same time help to make plans lor the improvement of the Chinese police service. “ (4) China shall purchase from Japan a. fixed amount of munitions of war, say 50 per cent, or more of what i( needed by the Chinese Government, oi there shall he _ established in China a Smo-Japanese jointly operated arsenal. Japanese technical experts are to be employed and Japanese material is to b« purchased. 11 (5) China agrees lo grant Japan th« COils t l-,lc t railway's connecting B u Chang with Kin Kiang and Nauchang; another lino between Nauchang and Hanchow; and a third between Nanehang and Chaochon. “(6) If China needs foreign capital to work mines, build railways, and construct harbor works, including doeffc. yards, in the province of Fuhkcin, Japan is to bo first consulted.” Mr M ilford asserted that these facts nad remained hidden from the world. They had never been published, hut America had learned of them, and there was trouble straight away. All tile trouble that had taken place between America and Japan could be traced back to these six clauses. POSSIBILITIES IN THE EAST. ,‘‘ The word Singapore spells mobility,” said Mr Willord. “Mobilityis essential to a war fleet. Japan lias jumped' from nothing to a first-class Power in the last twenty years. Her legislators have no say in the army and navy. Her generals use the backdoors of the Mikado’s Palace, front which the ukase is issued. Her army and navy aro autonomous. All authorities say that_in 1931 Japan will have 4,000,000 trained soldiers. An army from Japan could be put into tha Philippines in four days. There would be no army to meet them, and a navy would be, useless, because it would not have the necessary base to which it might retire. If trouble ever comes our ships must have that base, Japan’s policy is lo move steadily forward in the Pacific.” Alter showing how various islands and deep-water harbors were in tlio bauds of Japan, and how she had crept down to the north of Australia and tlio north of the Dutch East Indies, Mr Wilford said that Japan had not only encircled Singapore, but today was actually in Singapore. Slid owned 1,000 acres round'flic British wireless station there, in addition to other sites of importance. Admiral Hotham had made an impressive point when he said that though Singapore might not prevent Japan from raiding Australia ami New Zealand, it would bo the moans of preventing raiders from over returning homo again. NOT A PARTY MATTER. “ Let ns not make the defence of the Empire a. party matter,” said tho speaker. (Cries of “Hear, hear.”) ‘‘Owing to the strain of war we know that the United Kingdom is nob capable of shouldering the whole burden of naval defence. Though this is a had time for ns we must accept our share.” It was far better that wc bo advised by experts than by idealists, theorists, and preachers of peace, who were not prepared. Had Britain a standing array of 500,090 in 1914 there would have been no retreat from Mens, and the war would have ended in 1914. Wo should ho prepared to do our share in tho defence of tho Empire, not in tlio spirit of meeting an obligation, but rather of doing our duty. Mr Han is (Wailomata). who followed. congratulated Mr Wilford on his well-thought-out speech, and said ho expressed tho sentiments of tho Honso in declaring that the member for Hutt had excelled himself.