The Gisborne Times TUESDAY. JUNE JO, 1936. TEE THREAT TO THE EMPIRE'S MAIN SEA ROUTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12901, 30 June 1936, Page 4

The Gisborne Times TUESDAY. JUNE JO, 1936. TEE THREAT TO THE EMPIRE'S MAIN SEA ROUTE.

One. of the most amazing suggestions that has boon made during all tho sanctions talk is, plainly, that of Mi Bywater, tho naval expert for tho London Daily Telegraph) who says that Britain should regard control of the Mediterranean Sea as being no longer vital to the Empire’s security.- If he had his way, the use of tho Suez Canal and of the Meditterranean Sea would bo abandoned for a time, in order that the alternative route via the Cano, should be concentrated upon, so as to accustom Britain and her Dominions to what might be tho position if the Mediterranean became a closed sea! This is, indeed, a strange reversal of view* point on his part, seeing that, earlier in the year, ho had held that the Empire required to hold the Suez route, no matter how great tho cost. What he may now have in mind is, of course, this: that, if tlio Royal Navy is to be re-devcloped on the basis o' capacity to maintain Britain’s “lifeline” to the East and tlio Pacific, it might provo inadequate to protect tho alternative sea. route to Britain via tho Cape in the event of the. Mediterranean becoming unusable in wartime. There can be no question but that, if Italy and Britain had come t) grips over Abyssinia, tho Suez route would, for a time, have had to be abandoned by British liners rs well as by cargo vessels. The matter is one of great interest to the Dominions as well as to the Motherland- Vessels which to-day go Home via Suez would require to travel an additional 2000 miles if they had to b i diverted via the Cape. In the case of India, Egypt and other neighboring countries, their lines of communication with England, in the event of the Suez Canal being closed, would be lengthened much more considerably. As a ease in point, oil tankers which now have a comparatively short journey from the. Persian Gulf to England would be forced to make a journey of 10.000 miles via the Cape. The position in respect of Empire defence would become* equally difficult. If trouble should arise m the Pacific, and British war vessels could not use the Suez Canal, there would he very substantial delay in their arrival say at Singapore in an emergency. In tins connection, it may be be noted that tho Singapore authorities are now becoming insistent that a British fleet should bo stationed at the new base. It is certain also that British prestige in India, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq and Trans-Jordania would be vtvy adversely affected if the Mediterranean became a closed sea and the Suez route could not be used. The matter of the preservation of the Suez route is really of vital importance to the Dominions as well as to Britain. If. for instance, the Empire were to become involved in an Eastern war, it is certain that the Panama route would quickly become unsafe. In ail the circumstances, the Dominions should support the proposal that the Motherland should amplify her forces in the Mediterranean Sea and express approval of, and provide monetary help towards the cost of, the stationing of a battle cruiser fleet at Singapore.