BRITAIN’S FORCES

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19945, 23 July 1936, Page 8

BRITAIN’S FORCES

4 30 O’CLOCK EDITION

REASONS FOR INCREAbIhG. IMPIRI 00-OPIRATION DIBIRID. MINISTERS STATEMENT. (Official \Vlreless.) ‘ rßecehed July '23. 3.13 pm.) RUGBY. July '22. In a speech before the Empire Parliamentary Association. :‘ir Samuel Alloare. i-‘irst Lord of the Admiralty. aaid recent eVents had demonstrated that ntth’ll strength which would have proved adequate in the past might no longer be‘ sutticient to t‘ulgl the de—mands or collectgre action and unlimited liability in the present and luture. The Brltlah rearmament programme was no more and no lon than proof of Britain's datarmlnatlon to provide tor both self do!onoa agalnat an aggressor and the playing or its part In the onforcemont. by common action, of International obligations. Sir Samuel admitted that the adv venue in air power had introduced many new problems, but declared the well established doctrine that Britain depended for her existence primarily on seapower remained unaffected. slnoapora 3m. Referring to the Singapore naval base. he said the fortunes of British peoples and interests in the Far East would always be of paramount import—ance. and the work being carried out at Singapore was a vital contribution‘ to collective security The British; Commonwealth naval base was re-; garded by some as a menace and by" others as a futile extravagance. It‘ \\as neither one nor the other. Altai" describing the three tasks involved in; the Gmernment's programme of re—i building the Ileet. training personnel.: and modernising naval bases Sir Samuel Hoar. said In the ful- . flimont of thou tutu he looked wlth confidence for the 00-opora—-tion of the whole British Commonwealth of Nations. ‘ E‘en the greatest units in the Em-‘ pire. such as Australia. could not long‘ resist an attack by a powerful nation-‘ The only security for such a unit lies In sea power. The Irltlah Navy must always be maintained at a level enabling i It to reinforce any unit In tho ‘ lmplro likely to be threatened. ‘ Value of Battleship:There “as much cuntrmersy as to the value of battleships. but the Ad—mlraity remained convinced um there was no answer to the big ship except the his ship. ;\ir power could not prevent on enemy srnding out warships and playing havoc with trade it the Empire‘s .\‘tny were not in a position to round up and destroy them. .\ircrat'i bend less cm’lurantce and less range than ships, and while Britain should make the fullest use of air power for the protection of trade she still 019ponded on the Nmy. No amount of local deience on air or sea could protect. the commercial arteries. of even the largest Dominion. and the application or a iocul remedy to widespread disorder would he foredoomed to fall-: are. The maintenance of a powerful and highly mobile- firm was essential for the. dual purposcs ot' protectiimr HIE: “-urld-“idi- interests of the Empire and anccouring any units threatened by attack beyond local rcsisliuu't‘. The dolenoo burden waa fallIna heavily on the United Kingdom and the deep interest In other unlta o! the Empire may augaoat to them ways of Iharlng that burden. One direction is local defence. \\'hiie It was true that a local force could not protect them against a strong enemy. the capacity to repel a comparatively small scale attack before the arrival of naval reinforcements should be achimed.