SINGAPORE BASE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19125, 21 September 1936, Page 11

SINGAPORE BASE.

NOT FLEET HEADQUARTERS

EMERGENCY USE .ONLY

-LON DONA Sept; S. ‘•Hopes (hat, with the approaching completion of naval works’, ' Singapore soon will find itself the headquarters of an imposing fleet, seem on tile whole unlikely to be fulfilled,”’ declares The Times, in an editorial, commenting! on articles from a special correspondent, describing the progress of the works.

■‘Tlio scale of the works-at Singapore is dictated by the scale of modem fleets, rat Iter than by any present anticipation of the need lor employing them in the Orient.” , . . ,

“There is no greater political significance in the construction to-day of docks to take 35.000-ton warships than there was <lO years ago. in the construction of docks at Gibraltar, -Malta, Colombo.'and Hongkong, to take ships of 15,000 tons, hut the provision of docks is no less essential to the efficiency of the fleets today than if was in the last century. Even if Singapore never sees for more than a brief visit the fleet*.which it is to serve, its importance in the scheme of Impel ial defence, now that it- is capable of serving that licet, remains as great as if it were to become its permanent, headquarters. such as Malta is to the Mediterranean fleet.”

The special correspondent of The Times declares that there is no need to assume that any Power will ever seek.to make an aggressive movement from the East to the Indian Ocean, but that’ the base at, Singapore is designed for more than jireventing such an attempt. Its primary object,' lie says, is to provide a docking and repair station for the service of the British fleet that would be required foilin' protection of British interests-' in .the Far East if peace in that, region wore threatened. ■ ■