SINGAPORE BASE

Southland Times, Issue 19124, 17 December 1923, Page 5

SINGAPORE BASE

A SIGNIFICANT DECISION. OFFICIAL EXLANATION. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, December 13. In view of the present circumstances, the proposed visit by the Earl of Cavan (Chief of the Imperial General Staff) to the dominions has been cancelled. The Daily News interprets the decision as heralding the abandonment of the Singapore base. It says the Government has seen the red light in respect to a wasteful and foolish project. “Under the present circumstances,” it adds, “It means that there is now a majority in the House of Commons opposed to the dangerous gamble of spending millions which are urgently needed to meet economic realities at home.” Some newspapers connect the cancellation of the Earl of Cavan’s visit to Singapore with the abandonment of the scheme. In well informed circles, however, the reason given is that in view of any change of the Government it was deemed undesirable to deprive a new War Minister, of his principal military adviser. Ihe Daily Mail’s political correspondent asserts that the Government now realises there is little prospect of the Singapore scheme going forward. Later: The Admiralty denies that the Government has decided to abandon the Singapore base, but admits that it is open for a new Government to reconsider the scheme for which £200,000 has already been voted. NEW YORK, December 14. During a luncheon to Mr R. MacKinnon (Australian Commissioner) Reuter’s correspondent, who was also a guest, received news by cablegram reporting the British Government’s abandonment of Singapore as a base. Mr MacKinnon was informed by Reuter’s representative and was greatly interested.