NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1920. SINGAPORE BASE

Northern Advocate, 15 November 1929, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1920. SINGAPORE BASE

Registered for Transmission Through the Post as a Newspaper.

The attitude of the Labour Govern- ■ ment in Britain towards the Singapore | Base has been a source of speculation. It was recently reported that instructions to retard construction had 'been given. This report was the sublet of a question in the House of Commons. The First Lord of the Admiralty made a statement which, on the face of it. must be regarded as satisfactory. He explained that the Government, in view of the fact that the Five Powers Naval Conference is to be held in January next, had decided to slow down operations at the base as much as possible. All work that °ould be suspended would he stopped pending the holding of the conference, the decisions of which might affect the use of the base. It will he remembered that the first LabouT Government made abandonment of the Singapore Base a policy measure. The succeeding Conservative Government decided to push on with construction of the base. To that end Tf purchased a i huge floating dock and, in September 1928, entered into n contract, running into four millions sterling, for the building of a large graving dock. Work upon this undertaking has been proceeding for some time, and the Labour Government very naturally does not. feel called upon to invite criticism by openly condemning the much debated scheme. Tt 1 is on much safer ground in the slowing down work pending an interational con- |

ference which may conceivably rendm’ unnecessary a naval base at Singapore. If the outcome of the conference warrants completion of the base little time will have been wasted; on the other hand, a very substantial saving may be effected. New Zealand is particularly interested in the decision of the British Government, for, with Hong Kong and the Federated Malay States, she has shared in contributions, amounting to £2,113,000, with which the bulk of the work so far done has been paid for. Earl Jellicoe has expressed doubt as to how New Zealand will receive the announcement. He fears resentment, but there will probably be no manifestation of this pending the holding of the na\al conference. It would seem that the only thing to be done is to “wait and see.