NAVAL WARFARE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 39, 17 October 1923, Page 5

NAVAL WARFARE

IrUTURF- DEFENCE IN PACIFIC.

THE BATTLESHIP QUESTION. Press, Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. G«.ble Association. (Received 9.35 a.m.) London, October 16. Admiral Sir Percy Scott, addressing the Australian Natives' Association, denounced the building of battleships. He condemned Singapore as being useless to Australia, wh/Lch, he declared, was easily able to protect iifeHElf by means of submarines and aeroplanes.

Admiral- Scott announced that France had finally determined to discontinue battleships*. j

Admiral Mark Kerr, speaking on the result of his war experience while in command oil the Fleet in the Adriatic, said the Australian battleships were powerless against the submarines, which prevented them leaving port. The Pacific experiences would probably be similar in future war. The expenditure of twenty millions on Singapore was 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 and New Zealand, or any of our other Pacific possessions. Australia's line of defence Avas obviously aeroplanes, submarines, and torpedo boats, against which no hostile fleet dare approach within two hundred miles.