SINGAPORE BASE

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 March 1925, Page 5

SINGAPORE BASE

MR. MACDONALD’S ATTACK. IO<! -s i 1 oiON “WHITE” AUSTRALIA, (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) / . 1 LONDON, March 23. In the House 1 of Commons,., at", the report stage of the 'Naval ■ < Estimates, Mr. Rarijsay MacDonald attacked, the Government's decision to proceed with the Singapore Base., , He. declared that the. Emppre did not consist solely.,of Australia and’ New Zealand. / The Singapore Base' would weaken the Em? ipire, because .it would , increase;., the war-making impulses, of the world. Ho referred to the remarks made by one member, of the House of Commons, that a Singapore Base was necessary in order to maintain the, White Australia policy. The assertions meant that, because Australia would persist in opposing- Japanese, immigration, -the result undoubtedly would, be a JapanAustralian military/ conflict, by which, sooner or later, the whole Empire would be invplved in war.. He suggested that there was an alternative. It was to submit the question of emigration to tbe,League of, Nations.. ..He declared that they now knew that, 'if the international Court had,,to decide as to whether a Japan-Australian conflict arising out of the immigration question was an international or purelv domestic affair, the Court would decide that immigration policy was- a ottrelv domestic matter for the country concerned. Thus the first, ground of the battle was to be settled'legally, And not militarily. .. ... .... He did not. dojibt the effect of a base at Singapore would ,be to turn, the mind of the East, towards military preparations. In conclusion, lie sgid, this base was calculated to upset many chances to preserve peace in the Far East. It would mean the creation of a Pacific, . Fleet,' qvith probably the scrapping of the Washington Treaty ratios; for naval construction, ,an,d would also mean even : increasing the expenditure pn, armaments., which exoenditure did not mean peace or securifv. hnt inevitable war. . . .

Sir R. Horne emphasised that Britain was bound by Imperial•,ties.'to '.Australia and New Zealand, and this meant that Britain inust render, them effective aid if required to do so. Britain would be false to her trust if she did not complete the, Singapore Base, for thereby they would be rendering secure the great Imperial (Communications on which the welfare of the country depended. He controverted the suggestions- that Australia, and. New Zealand had changed their minds .on the subject of a Singapore Base. The fact that a base would take-ten. years to complete constituted .an* argument in favour of beginning at once. No Government, was , able to .foresee when the next- war was coming. The Geneva Peace Protocol i fit had been carried into effect would have required a .much larger navy than Britain at present possessed- The Singapore Base was not being, constituted as an, offence io Japan. The abandonment of the base meant giving up the possibility of defending the Indian and the Pacific Oceans 1 . He said much had been heard about gestures to.unknown people. Hejareferred to make a gesture of goodwill to the Dominions. Sir R. Horne, added: “Singapore has alwavs'been a base with which no foreign Power could take offence, because We are keeping up-to-date a base which we have held for generations. It Japan is reconsidering her alliances, she will be far more impressed if Britain is strong and effective in the pacific.” Mr. Ammon urged that Australia and New-Zealand were not unanimous in regard to Singapore. As a proof of that, he read a cablegram just received from the New Zealand Labour Party; / ' Air. Ammon declared : “Let the Conservatives be honest, and admit that they are expecting another war.” (Cries 0f,“N0.”,) “Admit that vou are taking a step” (Cries of “No.”) “Admit that this step is actuated by the fear of an Eastern- menace I” 1

Mr. Applin pointed out that, owing to the Washington Agreement, Britain was actually abandoning Hong Kong as an up-to-date base, withdrawing to Singapore. China was a sleeping giant, but was being ignored in this controversy. Bringing' Singapore rip-io-date would be the friendliest act they could do the United States, who were in severer danger in the lipinesThe amendment, moved by Mr. MacDonald for the reduction of the vote, was defeated by 280 to 129, after which the vote for Singapore' was agreed to.