THE SINGAPORE BASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21018, 6 May 1930, Page 9

THE SINGAPORE BASE

AN INFLUENCE FOR PEACE. NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT. (United. Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) .LONDON, May 3. The naval correspondent of the Morning Post says; “It is difficult to follow the argument prevalent in Government quarters that -there is no need to' proceed steadily with the Singapore base, oaring to the capital ship holiday. Singapore is not being developed primarily' as a battleship base, but for cruisers, though it includes a battleship graving dock. The ships we shall be able to maintain till 1940 at the earliest must be old vessels, requiring more docking and repairing ;than the'newer ones; 'thus the capital ship holiday makes Singapore more necessary than ever. After March, 1931, £4,867,000 will be required to complete the base, of which the Malay States and New Zealand find £1,290,000. Surely the £3,500,000 payable .by Britain, spread over many years, is not too high an insurance, seeing that the aggregate value of the ships and cargoes, on any single day on the Eastern and Australian waters is over £150,000,000. The Singapore base is a necessity that threatens nobody. Several of the most powerful nations agree that British naval strength based on Singapore will be the greatest influence for maintaining peace in the Far' East.” »