SINGAPORE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18972, 25 March 1924, Page 5

SINGAPORE

CONSERVATIVES TO CHALLENGE DECISION Received March 24, 7.5 p.m. LONDON, March 23. The Conservatives will challenge the Singapore decision during the discussion of the Navy Estimates on Tuesday. A majority of the Liberals are practically certain to support the Government. A White Paper is being issued on Monday containing the dominions’ representations. ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD’S THROTTLE VALVE LONDON, March 23. In au article endorsing the Government’s Singapore decision, Mr. Garvin, in the Observer, says he hopes Australia and New Zealand will realise that the project is not absolutely abandoned, but postponed in order to strengthen ,the Prime Minister’s efforts to bring about a definite degree of general disarmaments, but it no reciprocity is secured the strengthening of Singapore is unavoidable. He stresses that Japanese development is still in the military expansionist phase, while Singapore is strategically the throttle valve of the whole Englishspeaking world, the capture of which by Japan would make impossible effective Anglo-American co-operation in the Far East —in the event of a conflict between Japan and the white races, which all sane men profoundly pray will never arise, and Japan would have an excellent chance of establishing sovereignty over China and all the East Indies,

AERIAL DEVELOPMENT ASPECT LONDON, March 23. The newspaper Spectator fears that before Singapore could be completed aerial development would have rendered the defence of such bases most difficult. It is even conceivable that large cities in Australia could be more e asily protected from the air than from the sea. Furthermore, the Spectator doubts whether Singa'pore would give the Empire a key to the Pacific. A PESSIMISTIC VIEW LONDON, March 23. Mr. L> C- Amery, ax-Secrotary to the Navy, in the Sunday Times emphasises the fact that the abandonment of Singapore is not only flouting the Dominions, "but is causing the belief that the resolutions of the Imperial Conference are nothing compared with the claims of party politics. It is a notice to the Dominions that w e are prepared to leave their protection to chance, and even abandon them. What will the Dominions feel if Britain disposes of questions affecting their security with pacifist generalities. Eventually the Navy must be sustained by Imperial cooperation between Britain and the Dominions in building up navie s capable of combining in a single fleet to render mutual help. If we refuse such an arrangement as the abandonment of Singapore suggests, we will destroy the whole basis of naval cooperation, leading to disaster for all.” MR MASSEY’S VIEWS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 24. In referring to the Singapore Base, a ta reception by his constituents at Awhitu Central, Mr Massey said we could not have a base at Hongkong because of the terms of the Washington Treaty, but under the treaty it was understood wc could have Singapore. He discussed what the United States had done as regards fortifications at Pearl Harbour, Honolulu. “America,” he said, “has a base which is impregnable. If America and Britain would only come together and stand together, they could say to any nation that want ; ed to make war: * If you are agoing to war you will have Britain and America against you, and will have to take the consequences.’ ” If we had at Singa pore equipment similar to what America has at Pearl Harbour the two countries could control the Pacific.