SINGAPORE BASE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 March 1925, Page 5

SINGAPORE BASE

OPPOSED BY LABOUR

ADVERSE VOTE DEFEATED

DUTY TO THE DOMINIONS. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, March 23. In the House of Commons at the report stage of the naval estimates Mr Ramsay MacDonald (Leader of the Labour Party) attacked the Government’s decision to proceed with the Singapore base. He declared that the Empire did not consist solely of Australia, and New Zealand. The Singapore base would weaken the Empire because it would increase the war-making impulses of the world. Mr. MacDonald referred to a remark made by a member of the House of Commons that Singapore was necessary in order to .maintain the white Australia policy. That meant that because Australia would persist in opposing Japanese immigration, the result undoubtedly would he a military conflict between Japan and Australia by which sooner or later the whole Empire would be involved in war".

Mr. MacDonald suggested that the alternative was to submit the question of emigration to the League of Nations, and declared that they now knew if an international court had to decide whethe’r a, ~lapanes’e-Australiau conflict arising but of the immigration question .v as an -International or .purely'-a domestic affair, it would decide that the immigration policy was purely a domestic matter for the country' concerned. Thus the first ground of the battle was settled by legal and next by military methods. Mr MacDonald did not doubt that the effect of a base at Singapore would he to turn the mind of the East towards military preparations. In conclusion, he said the base was calculated to upset many of our chances to preserve peace in the Far East. It would mean the creation of a Pacific fleet with the. probable scrapping of the Washington ratios and ever-increasing expenditure on armaments, which did not mean peace or security but inevitable war.

• Sir Robert Horne (Conservative) emphasised that .Britain was bound by Imperial ties to Australia and New Zealand, and this meant that Britain must render them effective aid jf required to, do so. Britain would be false to her trust if she did not complete the Singapore base, thereby rendering secure the great Imperial communications on which the welfare of the country depended. Continuing, Sir Robert Horne said : “Singapore has always been a base, and no foreign power could take offence because we are keeping up-to-date a base we have held for generations. If Japan is fi-econsidering her alliances, she will be far more impressed if Britain is strong and effective in the Pacific.” Mr C. G. Ammon (Secretary for the Admiralty in the Labour Cabinet) urged that Australia and New Zealand were not unanimous in regard to Singapore. As a proof of that he read a. cable just received from the New Zealand Labour Party. Mr. Ammon added: “Let the Conservatives be honest and admit that they are expecting another war (cries of “no”), that you are taking a step to promote war (cries of “no”), and that this step js actuated by fear of the Eastern menace.”

Mr. Apnlin pointed out that owing to the Washington agreement Britain was actually abandoning Hongkong as an up-to-date base and withdrawing to Singapore. China was a sleeping giant and was being ignored in this controversy. Bringing Singapore up-to-date would lie the friendliest act we could do towards the United States, who was in severe, danger in the Philippines. Mr. W. C. Bridgeman (First Lord of the Admiralty), replying t.o the-debate, controverted the suggestions that Australia and New Zealand had changed their minds on the subject of the Singapore base. He said the fact that the base would take over 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 protocol, if it had been carried into effect, would have required a much larger navy than we at present possessed. The Singapore base was not being constituted as an offence to Japan. The abandonment of the base meant giving up the possibility of defending the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Much had been heard about gestures to unknown people. He preferred to make a gesture of goodwill to the Dominions An amendment moved bv Mr. MacDonald for a reduction of the vote was defeated by 280 votes to 129, after which the vote was agreed to.