NAVY AND SINGAPORE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23228, 23 December 1938, Page 11

NAVY AND SINGAPORE

PROTECTION OF AUSTRALIA REFERENCE IN COMMONS LONDON, Dec. 21 The Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, Mr. G. H. Shakespeare, replying in the.House of Commons to Lieutenant - Commander It. T. H. Fletcher (Labour —Nuneaton, Warwickshire) said it was not in the public interest to disclose the future disposition of British warships at Singapore. Lieutenant-Commander Fletcher: Is the Admiralty satisfied that in the event of capital ships becoming necessary for the defence of Australia Britain would bo able to provide them? Mr. Shakespeare: The Australian Minister of Defence, Mr. G. A. Street, accurately stated the position at Canberra on December 7. In tho speech referred to by Mr. Shakespeare, Mr. Street made it clear that the soul of Australia's defence preparations lay in co-ordination with tho British Navy. "We look to Britain 111 an emergency to station at Singapore a licet of sufficient strength to safeguard the Empire interests in tho eastern hemisphere," lie said. "Tlicro has been much loose talk about the recent crisis, seeking to prove that this could not be done. On tho contrary, tho Government has sound grounds to be reassured on this point."