Fort Of Singapore

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 30 September 1933, Page 11

Fort Of Singapore

SINGAPORE, the seat of the British Administration for the Straits Settlements, besides being one of the outposts of the

Empire is one of the most interesting cities in the Empire. Like Aden in the Red Sea, Gibraltar and Malta in the Mediterranean, Jamaica in the West Indies, and Hongkong in China, Singapore occupies an important strategic position. Standing as it does at the southernmost point of the Malay Peninsula, it is also favourably situafed for the carrying on of a vast trade. It is visited by vessels from almost every part of the world, and great liners discharge eai’goes which ai-e distributed amoixg the Malay States and maixy of the adjacent islands. Steamers from India, China, Japan and Australia call and there are regular shipping services to the Philippines, Java, Sumatra and Borneo and other islands of tlie Dutch East Indies.

Singapore, as a city, is little more than a century old, it having been founded as recently as 1819 and was included in the Empire in 1824. Up to the time when the city was founded Singapore was a small island practically uninhabited, but to-day has a population of over 300,000. To Sir Stamford Raffles, who had been the Governor of Java- during the short British occupation of that populous island, belongs the honour of having founded this famous and progressive city. There had been for many years great rivalry between the Dutch and British nations for the trade of the Orient and when the island of Java was restored to the Dutch Sir Stamford Raffles was ordered to establish a base for British trade in these seas, where the Dutch were so strongly and, for themselves, so favourably established. The keen eye of this far-sighted Empire builder saw the possibilities of a city which might prove to be a gateway to the markets of the East, on the tiny island to the south of Malay. Not even he, however, would be likely to visualise the greatness of the city that he was to establish. Like many another famous mail he received little honour for his work during his lifetime, but had to meet with much opposition from those who might have been expected to have assisted him. He returned to England to meet charges that were brought against his administration of the affairs of the city that he had established. On the voyage to "England his ship took fire and all his notes, maps, books ancT valuable Eastern collections were destroyed. Worn out with ill-health and disappointment he died at the early age of 45. He deserves to be remembered as one of the great Empire builders that the British peoples have produced, and his monument stands in the great city oil those Southern Asiatic waters. Not only was Singapore added to the Empire through Sir Stamford Raffles... but the whole of the Federated Malay States were also added as the result of the building of this city in the Straits of Malacca. The importance of Singapore to the Empire, by reason of its position in the South Pacific cannot be overestimated, for not only is it a great trading centre but it is also a great naval base. When the British authorities determined to make Singapore a great naval base and to construct docks that could accommodate the greatest of the nation’s warships, the project received the hearty support of all those who believed that the.centre of the world s power might be transferred to the Pacific and that great events might, take place in connection with the countries whose territories are formed in this ocean.

The two greatest nations that are found in the Pacific are America and Japan, although Britain and Holland are well represented in these waters. To talk aboxxt, the inevitability of war is simply to invite war between the nations concerned. If the statesmen of U.S.A. and. of Japan look upon war between their respective countries as inevitable and unavoidable, then such a war is certain to take place. Such a waxis not inevitable and it is for the authorities oi. both lxations to seek ever to follow the path of peace and goodwill. According to the latest messages both America and Japan are busily engaged in naval construction and each seems to be desirous to become the chief naval power in the Pacific. America is spending £47,000,000 and Japan £67,000,000 in the building, of warships.

Those- who supported the construction oi: the great docks at Singapore saw in the proposed woi-lts a great protection for Australia and New Zealand and for the remaining British possessions in the Pacific. It w r as considered that a vital necessity to the British naval forces that might be called upon to operate in the Pacific, was a port in that ocean where any vessel of the British fleet might be refitted and i-econditioned when need required. Oix the other hand there were those who strongly opposed the scheme, holding that the establishment of the Singapore base would be a direct menace to Japan and, instead of being a gesture of peace and of peaceful intentions, would be a distinct threat to our one-time ally and friend in the adverse days of the Great War. That such was not the intention of the the British Government it is almost unnecessary to say and Japan herself soon made it clear that she did not view the matter as a threat to herself, but that Britain had a perfect right

Great Trading Centre And Naval Base

(Written for the “Star” by T.C.)

to establish a naval base at Singapore if she so desired. It was also contended that a naval base at Singapore, while a distinct menace to Japan, was in a somewhat lesser degree also a menace to the United States.

Singapoi-e is distant fi-om the island of Formosa, the nearest Japanese territory, about 2000 miles and is distant from Tokio about 3500 miles, whilst it is almost 2000 miles distant from the Philippines, the nearest American territory, and can in no way be deemed a menace to the American possessions in the Pacific. Singapox-e can be no menace to either Japan or Amex-ica taxless either of these two countries make war oix the British Empire a‘nd the authorities of either country may be deemed to take such a course.

With the advent of a Labour Government in England the construction of the docks at Singapore was discontinxxed, but when the National Government was returned to power the work was resumed. The establishment of this naval base in the South Pacific has been consistently supported by the Governments of Austi-alia aixd New Zealand for they see in this work a px-otection for themselves against possible enemies.

At the confex-enee held at Toronto, Canada, recently of delegates from the various portions of the Empire an Australian speaker declared that Australia’s safety existed in the strength of the British Navy. He went on to say that Australia, because of its isolated position, was lying amidst dangers and the safety of the country depended upon Great Bi’itain’s willingness to accept responsibility fox- the ovex--seas Dominions. The New Zealand spokesman said that the British Navy was maintained for the defence of all nations and units of the British Commonwealth. These remarks indicate how vital to the preservation of the Empire is the welfare of the British Navy, and in order to be effective there must be ports available throughout the world which the vessels of the Navy can make their headquarters and _at which they may find all that they may require in the way of supplies and of refitment for arduous duties in days of war.

History proves that it is always difficult for a fleet to fight thousands of miles away from its home waters. Admiral Cervera, crossing the Atlantic with the Spanish fleet in 1898 to Cuban water, and the voyage of the Russian fleet in the Russo-Japanese War from Russian to Japanese waters ax-e cases in point. Both of these fleets were annihilated. The victory of Adnxiral Duvey, Commander of the American Asiatic Squadron, in overcoming in Manila Bay the Spanish fleet in the Philippines was not exactly similar to the above actions, for both the American and Spanish fleets were thousands of miles away from their respective home waters. It is remarkable that one of the world’s greatest seaports should be situated on one of the smallest inhabited islands of the Empire, the island of Singapore being but 27 miles long and 14 miles broad. This tiny island is the centre of a vast trade that runs into millions sterling. Malaya, for which Singapore is the chief port, is one of the great rubber growing countries of the world, the product having been introduced from South America. Throughout the Federated Malay States over two million acres have been planted, many of them with as many as 240 rubber tx’ccs to the acre. Malaya supplies three-quarters of the world’s plantation rubbex*. The following description conveys some idea of Singapore: “The city is on the island of Singapore, which is so near the Asiatic continent that one can paddle over to it in a canoe from the mainland in less than an hour and so small that he can walk from one end of it to the other in a day. It has millionaires by the score and its banks and business houses are amongst the greatest in the Orient. Some of its hotels will accommodate hundreds of guests and fifty great steamships connect it with the north, west and south. Its post office handles millions of pieces of mail annually and ships from every part of the world go in and out of the harbour. Long blocks of commercial houses extend along the waterfront and the city has many miles of docks and the harbour is one of the busiest in the woi’ld.”

Singapore’s population is a very cosmopolitan one. Here are found Celestials in abundance, who are said to be replacing the native Malayans in most of the prominent and lucrative positions, the Malayans, who lack energy and enterprise, being content to let the Chinese thus outwit them. Wherever the Chinaman goes he proves himself a keen business mand and lie finds in Singapore, with its stable Government, a congenial sphere in which to exercise his business capabilities. When British authoi-ity was established in Singapox-e the Chinese began to arrive on the island and they now number many thousands in Singapox-e, while they are also found everywhere throughout the Dutch East Indies.* Of Singapore’s population they form by far the great majority. Many of the Chinese are extremely wealthy and live in great state and lnxui-y, and are said to be the shrewdest merchants and the best financiers in the island city. The European element, which consists chiefly of British and American citizens, forms a very small percentage of the population.