SINGAPORE BASE SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18889, 11 December 1924, Page 9

SINGAPORE BASE SCHEME.

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS.

DOMINIONS' CONTRIBUTIONS.

CONSULTATION IN PROGRESS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received 8.55 p.m.)

A. and N.Z.

LONDON. Dec. 0.

One of the most interesting points in the debate on the Address-in-Reply to the King's Speech in the. House of Commons concerned the Singapore base scheme. The Speech had intimated that the Government proposed to proceed with the latter.

When the Speaker, read the Speech its references to public economy were greeted by Labour cries of " Singapore."

At a later stage Mr Lloyd George said he regretted that the Government, had rushed into a, decision regarding the Singapore base. It would have been better to have arranged a consultation with the Dominions to see if an arrangement for the Dominions to contribute toward the cost could 3be reached.

'■ The Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, promised that there should be. a discussion of the Singapore base question before the House rose.

Mr. Lloyd George asked whether there had been communications with the Dominions on this important subject. Mr. Baldwin: "We have begun already. The question has been raised, but we have not yet come to a decision regarding the length of time over which the work is to be spread, nor has any arrangement been made regarding the contributions to bo giyen by Britain or by the Dominions immediately concerned." Important Aspects Noted.

The Daily Telegraph says it understands that the sum the House will be asked to vote as a first instalment toward the cost of the Singapore base will not be large—possibly about £70,000. The diplomatic correspondent of the Telegraph says there are important aspects of the Singapore base scheme which are not generally borne in mind. The firs.t is that the Washington agreement will only extend over 10 years, and them is at present no guarantee of its extension. If it is not extended the communications with the Dominions would be entirely without defence by a modern battle fleet failing the provision of a suitable harbour and docking accommodation.

In the second place a fleet based on Singapore could cover not only New Zealand, and Australia, but the Eastern approaches to India. The correspondent ' adds that Holland and the Dutch East In'dies are closely following the scheme and welcome the idea of a large naval base at Singapore. An informal Naval entente between Britain and Holland in the Far East may. he says, be realised in the not distant future. * \ Floating Docks Advocated. Mr. Lionel Clark.«of Messrs. Clark and Standfield, the builders of the great Southampton floating dock, who will leave for New Zealand and Australia on December 19, stated to-day the.i'he is going to New Zealand to see his relatives. He hopes: also to spend some time in Australia, where he will visit tle dockyards, He is taking out a film showing the Prince o| Wales opening the Southampton dock. Mr. W. S. ; Robinson, who is accompanying Sir Robert Home to Burma, will join Mr. Clark at Ceylon, and they will travel to Australia together. ': . I j i "Even if Britain builds a graving dock at Singapore, it will not settle Australia's problem." said Mr. .Clark. "Singapore is 3000 miles away. If Australia builds a floating dock she will have"'"the necessary equipment for commercial purposes, and, in the event of an outbreak of hostilities, she will have the nucleus for a floating base which can be established in the most suitable position within a few weeks." Japan in the Pacific. • "The more complicated that ships become the more necessary is a base. No modern ship can carry sufficient tools to repair her delicate mechanism."

Discussing the position in the Pacific, Mr Clark said:—"The Marshall Islands, which are included in the Japanese mandate, are 400 miles from Nauru. They are said to contain a wonderful lagoon which could .accommodate any navy. "By the Washington agreement these islandi are not fortified, but what is to prevent Japan from having a floating base, which could be towed to the Marshall Islands within two weeks? No ships ■call at these island?,. Nobody knows what their possibilities are.-

"I stiongly believe the floating base will play an important part in any war in the Pacific. Docks are the only pait of such a base which require any considerable time to build."