SINGAPORE BASE

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11653, 18 October 1923, Page 6

SINGAPORE BASE

USELESS TO AUSTRALIA? ADMIRAL SCOTT DENOUNCES BUILDING OF BIG SHIRS, FUTILE EXPENDITURE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian and N.Z Cable Association LONDON, October 16. Admiral Sir Percy Scott, addressing tho Australian Natives’ Association, denounced the building of battleships, and condemned the Singapore base as useless to Australia,, which would easily b© able to protect- itself by the use of submarine and aeroplanes. He anno maced that Franc© has finally determined to discontinue building battleships. Admiral Mark Kerr, he &aid, speaking as the result of his war experience in command of the fleet in the Adriatic, had said that the Austrian battleships were powerless a-gainst submarines, and were unable to leave their lost. Experiences in the Pacific would piobably be similar in a future war. Admiral Scott declared that the expenditure of £20,000,000 on the Singapore base would be futile, because if battleships ever succeeded in getting there, which was doubtful, they would certainly never get out again, in,.any attempt to defend Australia or New Zealand, or any of our other Pacific possessions. Australia’s line’ of defence was obviously to use aeroplanes, submarines, and torpedo-boats, against which no hostile fleet dare approach within 200 miles.