N.Z. VIEWS STATED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 727, 29 July 1929, Page 8

N.Z. VIEWS STATED

NAVAL DEFENCE POLICY INTEREST IN SINGAPORE % Tress Association WELLINGTON. Saturday. In response to inquiries today, the Prime Minister stated that the proposals of his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom with reference to naval defence had received the attention of the New Zealand Government, which had communicated a tentative expression of its views on the subject to London. The message made it clear that the New Zealand Government attaches the greatest importance to the question of naval defence and. in particular, to the naval base at Singapore, anil that the views of this Dominion on the latter question, which had been expressed on previous occasions, remained unaltered. Attention had also been called to the fact that New Zealand’s interest in the Singapore Base was indicated by the provision of a contribution of £1,000,000. of which two instalments, totalling £250,000, had already been paid. Hope was also expressed that no alteration in the policy of Imperial defence would be made without consultation with the Dominions, and it had been suggested to the British Government that, if possible, the question should he reserved for discussion at the next Imperial Conference.