SINGAPORE BASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 April 1938, Page 7

SINGAPORE BASE

PROTECTION OF TRADE ROUTES. THE DEFENCES DESCRIBED. The history of the new British Empire naval base, which was recently inaugurated at Singapore in the presence of distinguished representatives of various parts of the British Commonwealth, is bound up with the recession throughout the world of the disarmament movement, which was so earnestly sponsored by Britain. Strained conditions in the Far East, which were already apparent toward the end of the World War, made it desirable for Britain to maintain in Eastern waters a fleet of sufficient strength for the protection of her interests in a region of the globe where she has not only valuable possessions on land, but where, on any single day of the year, British ships and cargoes worth £160,000,000 are afloat.

Singapore stands astride the main artery of trade to Europe from the British possession 'in Australia and New Zealand, as well as from China and Japan. Hidden in the Straits of Johore, at the north of the island, lies Seletar, with sufficient deep water to accommodate the whole of the British fleet. Situated here, 1600 miles from Calcutta, 1400 from Hongkong and 1900 from Port Darwin, the base will be in touch with British possessions in Asia and the East. GRAVING DOCK AND NAVY YARD. The graving dock is in size second only to the famous dock in Southampton in England, built for the liner Queen Mary, and this and the 50,000ton floating dock at Singapore can together dry-dock the two biggest battleships in existence at the same time, while a navy yard with 5000 feet of quays and 150-ton cranes will deal with the engineering side of refitment. Provision for refuelling is noteworthy; enough fuel is stored to run a fleet for six months.

The dockyard, fenced off from the surrounding country, is a veritable town, with barracks, bungalows, churches, football grounds, cinemas, well-equipped hospitals, stores, canteens, etc. Together with numerous other departments necessary, these sections are linked by 17 miles of railway and cover an area of 2400 acres, with an extensive front on the Straits of Johore.

The entire area, which formerly consisted of rubber plantations and unhealthy swamps, has been reclaimed and purified by the most effective means known to modern medicine and civil engineering. DEFENDED BY HEAVY BATTERIES The base is defended by heavy batteries of land and anti-aircraft guns. An air force base 21 miles away to seaward maintains a permanent strength of four squadrons; in addition aircraft can be summoned from India in case of need, and the magnificient land and sea airport just outside the port of Singapore will be available as a relief aerodrome. As it now stands, the Singapore base

has cost £20,000,000, of which the Federated Malay States have contributed £2,000,000, New Zealand £l,000,000. Hongkong £250,000, and Great Britain the rest. With the largest British ships free to make their home in Eastern waters, we may now hope for such an easing of the present tension as may enable the Pacific to justify its name.