NAVAL DEFENCE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 June 1924, Page 7

NAVAL DEFENCE

POSITION OF AUSTRALIA. COMPREHEN SIVE REVIEW. SY OABLE--PRBE9 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGH'i Received June 28, 11.40 a.m. MELBOURNE, .Line 27. In the House of Representatives, Mr Bruce, in moving the second reading of the Naval Bill, reviewed comprehensively the chief factors in the problem of Australian defence. He announced that the Ministry did not propose to take steps at present to provide a firstclass naval base in the Pacific as a. result of the abandonment of'the Sjngapoie project. He was still of the opinion that the provision of such a base was of paramount importance, and it was only a. matter of time when the recent decision of the British Government would he reversed. In the meantime there would he provision for fuelling and docking facilities in the Commonwealth. One of the two new 10,000 ton cruisers to replace the .Melbourne and Sydney would be built in Britain, at a cost of approximately .02,000,000. It had not been decided where the other will be built. He admitted that the cost of building in Australia would not be less than £3,000,000. The Imperial Conference had affirmed - the necessity for providing adequate defence of the territory and trades of the several countries comprising the Empire, and the first guiding principle laid down was that the primary responsibility of each portion of the Empire was for its own local difficulties. It was now generally the opinion, said Mr Bruce, that the view which had been taken of the benefits that would flow from the Washington pact had been somewhat exaggerated, - and possibly, in the drastic retrenchment that had taken place shortly afterwards Australia had gone too far. Australia was still dependent upon Britain for protection. It was useless to endeavour to maintain that she was an independent nation, having no connection with the British Empire. Britain at present maintained only a one-Power naval standard. If the people declared against even the maintenance of this Australia would be in a parlous condition. While Britain had abandoned Singapore, she was increasing her air strength for the immediate defence of her own shores. Because of lack of knowledge of the Eanpire and its far-flung fortunes, there was a danger that the question of Empire defence might be relegated to a second place. The League of Nations was the greatest hone of the: world to-day, but it was not in a position to enforce its will, on the world, especially as the United States. Germany and Russia were not members. The League was now considering the question of mutual guarantees, but he did not hold out much prospect of being able to rely on this.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.