NAVAL POLICY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 124, 23 April 1927, Page 10

NAVAL POLICY

PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT. MHjLION FOR SINGAPORE BASE. SPREAD OVER SEVERAL YEARS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 23. The Prime Minister has issued a statement on the future naval policy of New Zealand. After reviewing wliat has so far been done, Mr Coates says that he had the advantage of advice from Admiral Hatham while in England and of conferring with the Admiralty. Now, having conferred with his colleagues, the Government has decided, having regard to the very definite views of the New Zealand Naval Board, the British Admiralty and His Majesty’s Government in Great Britain, to provide for the following naval programme, which is regarded as, that best qualified to meet the position as it exists to-day and proposals to this effect will be submitted to Parliament in due course: (a) The sum of £1,000,000 will be paid to His Majesty’s Government in Great Britain as a contribution towards the cost of the Singapore base. This amount will not be paid as a lump sum, but will take the form of annual payments spread over the period between the present date and the date of completion of the base, estimated at seven or eight years. (b) A third “D” class cruiser will not be maintained, but when it is necessary eventually to withdraw the two existing cruisers they , will be replaced by two “B” .class cruisers. These ships have a tonnage of 8400 and the estimated annual cost of their maintenance will be £300,000 each as compared with some £230,000 for a “D” class cruiser. (c) During the period between the present time and the date when the “B” clasp cruisers will be taken over necessary alterations in the equipment and plant of the New Zealand naval base will be required for the upkeep of the “B” class cruisers and will be undertaken between now and the date when the new cruisers will be taken over. “When the Singapore base has been finally completed, and the contribution from New Zealand on that account is no longer payable, it is definitely intended to resume the policy of devoting the whole of our expenditure on naval defence to the New Zealand division. The present deviation from that policy is a temporary one due entirely to the desirability of assisting towards the completion of the Singapore base. “I feci sure .that every citizen in New Zealand will Welcome the opportunity of assisting more materially in the naval defence of the Empire and. will be proud to bear a burden approximating a little more closely to that already carried mainly by the people of the United Kingdom.”