SINGAPORE NAVAL BASE

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1929, Page 9

SINGAPORE NAVAL BASE

LABOUR MINISTRY'S VIEW

ABANDONMENT POSSIBLE STRONG PROTESTS RAISED Ry Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association., Received July 14, 5.5 p.m. London, July 13. The belief is growing that the Government contemplates a drastic modification or the abandonment of the Singapore dock scheme. Commentators point out that cancellation of the work now 7 would obviously involve a heavy waste of money besides reducing industrial conditions in Singapore to something like chaos.

The expert view’ is that a floating dock is useless without repair facilities ashore, while to leave the base in an unfinished condition and without providing adequate defences would be to saddle the Empire with a grave military liability. The Daily Telegraph’s naval expert says that abandonment will evoke intense indignation in Australia and New Zealand goes without saying. Moreover there will arise the delicate question of how to deal with the contributions in cash or kind which the overseas Governments have made towards the cost, such as the Malay States’ two millions, New’ Zealand’s million, and Hong Kong’s quarter of a million. Part of this money has already been expended or hypothecated.