SINGAPORE NAVAL BASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17031, 3 May 1923, Page 9

SINGAPORE NAVAL BASE.

DISCUSSION IN COMMONS. >*j Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and o>.Z. Cable Association. LONDON. May 1. .lA committee on the Naval Estimates, Commander Eyres-Monsell said thaw they were asking means to develop a naval base at Singapore to cater for the needs of modern capital ships. The estimate for the work had been cut down >v U 1.500.000 to £9,000,000, which was qread over a decade. . r G. Lambert, Liberal member for . until Molt-on, moved a nominal reduction in the vote. He opposed the cun -truetion of a naval base at Singapore, tor which no case had been made out. The question ought to be considered \. its relation to the League of Nations, otherwise they were treating the League covenant as a scrap of paper. He asked how it was possible to main tain communications between the Horn • Country and a naval base ten thousand miles away. Captain Hay. Labour member for Cat-heart, opposed the Singapore pro ject, and asked if we were fortifyin.i Singapore against America or Japan. Mr F. G. Penny. Conservative uiem her for Kingston-on-Thames, considered that it would be suicidal not to prepare for the eventuality of war. The decision to establish a base at Singapore was extremely wise. Mr C. \Y. Darbis-hire. Liberal member for West bury, urged that England should take a lead in the League of Na tions. instead ol continually talking about insuring against- war. From hi* experience, of the building operations ar Singapore. Vie thought “we would he jolly lucky if we got out of tin scheme under twenty millions.” Lord Curzon said that we must pr*» pare against war. or. hieing weak, v. would invite attack. The Government was acting wisely in providing a bass at the gateway of the East. Mr Asquith viewed the proposal with grave apprehension, both on strategic and financial grounds. Hr would like fuller knowledge of the genesis of th-"' scheme, and the naval advice npo--which it was put forward. Apart from the expense of establishing a base, he asked, what would be the nature of th.* garrison necessary for its defence, an ' what was the strategic advice the Ad miralty had acted upon? The sole jus t idea .tion must be that the base must. put us in a better position, not for «g gression. but for protection of seaborne trade, and possibly to defend the do minions against possible attack. Tic proposal might be deferred till the Imperial Conference met. Rear-Admiral -Sir George Gaunt said that Britain could not afford to st*' her hand rill the League of Nation functioned. Colonel L. C. Amcrv, First Lord oi the Admiralty, pointed out that Bri lain had disarmed more completely than any Great Power which had parti cipated in the great war. The strength o' the British Empire was an essentia! factor to the League ot Nations. The Singapore base was a pari of the essential equipment of the Navv. which mu.r be mobile, and have a chain of fuel and repair stations. It was no more .* menace to Japan than Portsmouth was t > France. The Imperial Conference had approved the scheme in 1921. The subject- had been closely investigated aud reinvestigated for three years. Tinpresent Government had confirmed it predecessor’s views. The scheme wrv not contrary either to the League Nations or the Washington Treaty. was because tbe Navy had been so largely reduced that fuel and repairing stations were needed. Air Lambert’s amendment was de feated by 253 votes to 94. and the rot? was carried by 271 votes to 51.

IMPORTANCE OF SINGAPORE.

LONDON. May 2. The “ Daily Express’' says: •• The naval strength of the British Empire tn he moved fioni the North Sea to .be Far East. Singapore will become the great naval base of tbe future. There in no question of preparing for a new war. It i merely a form of insurance. The transcendent importance of a naval base at Singapore, from a political and strategic viewpoint, is obviou®. Tf Gibraltar is the door to the Mediterranean, assuredly Singapore is the gateway of ocean traffic westward to the Pacific. A strong fleet at S ngapore could practically sever tho commercial communication of Europe in the Far East. Moreover. Singapore is the one base from which the defence of Australia can be r.csu red.” Singapore is an island situated off tli? southern extremity of the Malay Peninsula, from which it is separated by a narrow- strait about three quarters of .1 mile in width. It has an area of 217 square miles, and a population of nearl : half a million. It was formally ceded to the British Government by the Sultan of Johore in 1824. The railway from Singapore to Bangkok was opened tor passenger traffic on July 1, 1918. The tonnage of merchant vessels which entered and cleared the port in 1921 was 17.933.356. exclusive of native craft. The harbour, in the extent cf its shipping, is one of the greatest ports in the world, being a port of call for vessels trading between Europe or India and the Far East, the north of Australia and the Dutch Indies. It :a strongly defended. The Tanjong Pagar docks and wharves wore taken over l-y the Government in 1905. at a cost of 29.000.000d01. Tho King'd Dock (opened in 1913) is the largest east of Suez, and cost 3,500,000d01.