NAVAL DEFENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 142, 15 May 1930, Page 7

NAVAL DEFENCE

EMPIRE OUTPOSTS. EFFECT OF ECONOMIES. WHAT DOMINIONS MUST DO. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received May 15, 11 a.m. LONDON, May 14. “How slender is the line of naval defence at the outposts of tho Empire is revealed in tire navy list,” says the Daily Telegraph’s naval editor in describing the sweeping economies effected in the establishments of the Royal Australian Navy, resulting ill more than half the effective ships being.placed on the reserve list. “The naval establishments of Canada, New Zealand and South Africa are even more exiguous. Consequently, the burden of defending tire scattered states of the Empire must still be borne by the Royal Navy, which at present has fifteen cruisers serving overseas, while the fifty cruisers allotted to us by the London Treaty have to serve the needs of the whole Empire, not merely those of Great Britain. “AVe shall find it extremely difficult in the years to come to keep the overseas squadrons up to strength, as multiplication is forbidden. “The Dominions can best provide for future defence by building destroyers, submarines and developing their air forces.” SINGAPORE BASE. DOMINION’S ATTITUDE. AUCKLAND, May 14. “I have noticed that frequent references have recently been appearing in the newspapers regarding the Singapor naval base,” said the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, in a statement, this evening. “I desire to state that ns far iis the New Zealand Government is concerned its views on the subject are well known, and have been publicly stated both in and out of Parliament. Moreover, His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom is fully cognisant of these views. “I need hardly say,” he said, “that these opinions remain unchanged, and we hope that no decision affecting the work of construction at Singapore will be made until the matter has been fully considered at the forthcoming Imperial Conference in London.”