SINGAPORE BASE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 March 1929, Page 7

SINGAPORE BASE.

COST OF COX STIIUC riO'X RED UCE !> (Australian Press Association —United Service.) LONDON, March 19. Speaking in the House of Commons, Captain King, in answer to- a question, said; that tire- estimated losses in the British mining •industry were between 10 and LI millions. On the vote of £1,097.000 for naval and building works. Mr G. C. Ammon moved a reduction owing to the expenditure on the Singapore base, which was ajalrming the other nations and violated our /peace protestations. The Rt. Hon. W. C. Bridgman. replvinig, said that. Singapore was a pivotal point, enabling the fleet to ire move mobile. The tota'i cost had been reduced by £3,000.000 to £7.750.000. to which Hongkong. New Zealand and Malaya, had made contributions. Mr Ammon: "What about Austr.iI lia

Mr Bridgman: "Australia, when Labour was in office in 1924, naturally did not contribute what she intended, because the. Labour Ministry deci'ined to go on with the base that Australia, wanted. Australia instead decided to lav down two instead of one. ernc-er.

Commander Ken worthy said that Sydney would be a much better battleship base than Singapore. The Malacca Straits could be easily defended by means’ of submarines, and mines 1 . It was ve-rv likely that the next Washington Conference would declare that batti’eshins were obsolete, thus making Singapore base useless. The amendhient- was rejected bv 146 votes to 73 and the vote was tarried.