BRITISH NAVY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 3 May 1923, Page 5

BRITISH NAVY

NORTH PACIFIC BASE.

TO COST NINE MILLIONS

i'S. GAtfiiJß—.t'Hiiaii ASHOCUATIOiH—OGFSHiAiiii LONDON. May 1. The naval estimates were discussec in committee in the House of Com mons. Commander B. Eyres-Monsell (Par liomentary Secretary to the Admiralty] said they were asking for means tc develop a naval base at Singapore tc cater for the needs of modern capita ships. The estimate for the work hac been cut down by £1,500,000 tc £9,000,000, which was spread o'vei a decade. Mr Gr. Lambert (Liberal) moved a nominal reduction in the vate. He was opposed to the construction of a naval base at Singapore, for which no case had been made out. The quesl tion ought to be considered in its. relation to the League of Nations, otherwise they were treating the League covenant as a scrap of paper. He asked how it was possible to maintain communications between the Home Country and a naval base ten thousand miles away. Oapt. J. P. Hay (Labour) opposed the Singapore project, and asked if it were fortifying Singapore against ; America or Japan. Mr F. G. Penny (Conservative) considered it would be suicidal not to prepare for the eventuality of war. The ! decision to establish a base at Singapore was extremely wise. ' Mr C. W. Darbishire (Liberal) urged that England should take the lead in the League of Nations instead of continually talking about insuring against war. From his experience of building operations at Singapore, he thought we would be jolly lucky if we get out of the scheme under £20,000,000. Lord Curzon (.Acting-Prime Minister) said we must prepare gainst war, or, being weak, we A^ould invite attach. Tht- Government ivas acting wisely m providing a base at the gateway at tie East. Mr 11. H. Asqv.ith (Libc:al it.v:<>i) vicwej the propo-al with }.:ravo ap;.»t?hension, both on strategic and linancial grounds. He would like fuller knowledge of genesis of the scheme and ■Aih r.v\it\ advice uf on which it \v;is put fv ' A-;«rd, apart from the v^pe:i;es of establishing the base. What would be the nature of the garrison necessary for its defence, and what was the strategic advice the Admiralty acted upon? The sole justification must be that the base must put us in a better position, not for aggression, but for the protection of our seaborne trade, and possibly to defend the Dominions against a. possible attack. The proposal might be dered till the Imperial Conference met. Admiral Sir G. Grant (Conservative) said Britain could not afford to stay her hand till the League of Nations functioned.' Sir L. C. Amery (First Lord of th« Admiralty), "replying, pointed out that Britain had disarmed more completely than any great Power which participated in the Great War. The strength oi the British Empire was an essential foctor to the league of Nations. The Singapore base was part of the essential equipment of the Navy, which must be mobile and have a chain of fuel and repair stations. It was no more a menace to Japan than Portsmouth was to France. The Imperial Conference had approved the scheme in 1921, and the subject had been closely investigated and re-investigated for three The present Government had confirmed their predecessors' views. The scheme was not contrary either to the League of Nations or the Washington Treaty. It was because the navy had been so largely reduced that fuel and repairing stations were needed. Mr Lambert's amendment was defeated by 253 votes to 94, and the vote was carried by 274 votes to 51. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. LONDON. May 2. The Daily Express says the naval j strength of the British Empire is to be moved from the North Sea to the Far East, and Singapore will become the great naval base of the future. There is no question of preparing for a new war; it is merely a form of insurance. The transcendent importance of the naval base at Singapore, from the political and strategic viewpoint, is obvious. If Gibraltar is the door of the Mediterranean, assuredly Singapore is the gateway of the ocean traffic westward to the Pacific. A strong fleet ai Singapore could practically sever commercial communication between Europf and the Far East, and moreover, Singa- , pore is the one base from which th« defence- of Australia can be assured.