THE EMPIRE’S SAFETY

Otago Witness, Issue 3613, 12 June 1923, Page 27

THE EMPIRE’S SAFETY

AIR AND SEA DEFENCE. IMPORTANCE OF SINGAPORE BASE. LONDON, June 6. The Morning Post’s naval correspondent says: ‘‘There is a movement in the House of Lords and the House of Commons to challenge the Government’s decision to develop a naval base at Singapore on the ground that the country should first be made secure from an air attack. This is equivalent to refusing to pay fire insurance because the cargo is not covered against loss on the high seas. Fortunately the Government has a truer sense of proportion. The air menace is local, but the menace to the British Empire on the seas is world-wide. With sea power we can cut off our Continental air enemies from their supplies of petrol, but it would be fatal if we were deprived of petrol. The importance of Singapore is apparent to all who think Imperially instead of parochially. The colonies cannot be defended by aircraft alone. Strategically Singapore lies on the flank of tlie main routes from Suez to Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East. If the importance of Singapore is not recognised in certain quarters in Great Britain, it is recognised as a vital matter in Australia and New Zealand, as Mr Massey’s speech upholding the British policy shows. A wise merchant will cover his personal risk at home as well as his sea-borne goods. To concentrate on the air menace while neglecting tile sea insurance is to jeopardise the safety of the dominions, instead of knitting the ties of Empire more closely and therebv promoting increased Imperial security.” THE AIR SERVICE. NEW lIGHTING AEROPLANE. LONDON, June 7. A new Britisli fighting aeroplane constructed by the Vickers Company is ready to undergo its final flying trials. It is a two-seater machine, fitted with a single Napier-Lion engine. It is expected that the machine, even when fully equipped with crew, machine guns, and armaments, will have a speed of 150 miles an hour, or 30 to 40 miles more than any fighting machine in the Government air service. The fighting plane eventually adopted by the Air Ministry will be ordered on a considerable scale to replace the present machines. LEVY ON EASTERN SHIPPING SUGGESTED. LONDON, June 8. ■ The Saturday Review, commenting on the debate in the House of Lords on the Singapore base, says:—"Lord Salisbury s reference to a Power in the Far East which may not always be friendly was to Japan, which, as is not generally known in England, rushed to completion secretly a great naval base at Bonin before the Washington Conference.” The paper emphasises that the situation at Singapore invites the co-operation of all the units of the Empire to the east of Suez. Means should be found for their paying in common for insurance by a rate levied on Eastern shipping using Eastern waters. The journal hopes that the matter will be discussed and arranged at the Imperial Conference.