NAVAL VOTE

Northern Advocate, 21 March 1925, Page 5

NAVAL VOTE

SINGAPORE PROPORTION

PASSED WITHOUT DIVISION.

LABOUR ENTERS OBJECTION,

(Received 10.10 a.m.)

LONDON, March 20,

In the House of Commons Mr W. C. Bridgeman, First Lord' of the Admiralty, in introducing the Navy Estimates explained that the increase of nearly £5,000,000 was due partly to the feict that the Estimates had been excessively cut down by the Labour Government, with the result that the leeway had to be made up.

All obligations under the Washington Treaty had been carried out in advance of the time limit, but not without difficulty. No large-scale manoeuvres beyond ordinary fleet exercises were being held. The tour of the Special Service Squadron had enabled the Dominions to realise the heavy burden the Mother Country was bearing in this connection.

The programme as regards Singapore was to establish the ex-German floating dock recently at Portsmouth in the old straits. The sum of £250,000 had been ear-marked for expenditure on the base this year.

Mr Bridgeman thanked Australia and New Zealand for endeavouring to bear their share. He said the fact that those Dominions had diverted money to other purposes when the Labour Government dropped the Singapore proposal did not mean that they had altered their minds respecting the value of the base.

Replying to a question regarding President Coolidge's proposal for a disarmament conference Mr Bridgeman said: "We would be only too glad if it were possible and compatible with the security of this country to arrange anything lessening the cost of armaments. Everything we are doing is in accordance with the Washington agreement, outside of which we do not desire to go. It is nonsense to say that our action is provocative. We have no lust for conquest or desire for more territory. All we want is to develop our territories and trade.''

The exact size of the floating dock for Singapore had not yet been settled, Mr Bridgeman added, but it had to be large enough to dock the largest battleships. It was therefore necessary to extend the size, which would cost £300,000. Most of the work of enlargement would be done in Britain before it left for Singapore. It would take three years for the complete amount required to be spent on the floating dock, getting it in place and making the necessary roads, etc. This sum was estimated at £757,000. The full programme, including a graving dock, was still being considered.

Mr Ramsay Mac Donald defended the action of the Labour Government in holding up the work at Singapore, on thte grounds that a period of examination was absolutely necessary, not merely from the viewpoint of national safety, but from that of the taxpayer. The result of that gesture was the Geneva Protocol. He asked what was the objective of the base at Singapore, seeing that America and Japan were both friendly? Experts' theoretical views ought not to dominate the mind of the Government. He saw not the slightest reason why there should not be a substantial reduction in the Navy Estimates similarly with last year. He was of opinion that the Government's decision in relation to Singapore was most deplorable, as it might upset the whole equanimity of the East.

The House agreed to the Estimates without division, after rejection of a motion by Commander Kenworthy to reduce the personnel of the navy. — Reuter.