SINGAPORE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18975, 28 March 1924, Page 5

SINGAPORE

LOCAL LABOUR’S POINT OF VIEW The following correspondence speaks for itself:— Wanganui, March 7, 1923. Right Hon. W. !?• Massey, Prime Minister, Wellington. Dear Sir, I have been instructed by the above body, of which I have the honour to be secretary, to convey to you the following resolution passed at . its monthly meeting, held on the sth inst:— “That the Wanganui branch of the N.Z. Labour Party regrets that Mr. Massey, Prime Minister of N.Z., should have offered £lOO,OOO to support a base at Singapore, which it considers ques tionable foreign policy, likely to endanger the peace of the world. It urges Mr. Massey to consider whether the money could not be more nobly employed in promoting international trust and goodwill.’’ Yours respectfully, W. J. ROGERS, Hon. Sec. Mr. Massey replied as follows: Wellington, March 25, 2924. Mr. W. J. Rogers, Sec. Wang. Branch N.Z. Labour Party. Dear Sir, I am in receipt of your letter of the 7th inst., conveying copy of a resolution passed by the Wanganui branch of the N.Z. Labour Party, expressing regret that as Prime Minister of New Zealand, I should have “offered £lOO,OOO to support’’ the Singapore naval base, together with the opinion that your branch considers such to be “questionable foreign policy, likely to endanger the peace of the world,” and urging that I should consider “whether the money could not be nrbre nobly employed in promoting international trust and goodwill.” Permit mo to point out that while I accept full responsibility for the offer made to the Imperial Government on that behalf, authority Jias been given by the N.Z. Parliament under the Appropriation Act, No. 45/1923, for the payment by the Minister of Finance “to the Imperial Government of a sum not exceeding £lOO,OOO as a contribution towards the cost of the establishment and construction of a naval base at Singapore” (vide section 13), the House having approved of that expenditure by a majority of 34 votes, twelve members of the House only voting against the proposal. Since your letter was written, the intentions of the British Government tn regard to the base have been made known, and my views on the subject have been given publicity through the Press. Yours faithfully, W. F. MASSEY.