BRITISH SEA POWER AND WORLD PEACE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 23, 11 February 1937, Page 4

BRITISH SEA POWER AND WORLD PEACE

"The world is in a condition of greater confusion to-day than at any time since the break-up of the Eoman Empire," declared Sir Sa/muel Hoare, First Lord of the Admiraltyj spe'aking at Bradford. "Dr. Masaryk, president of Czecho-Slovakia, once said it was the British Empire 's mission to teach the world common sense. I believe it should to-day also exhibit fortitude and magnanimity at a time when national selfishness has become almost a religipn and force is worshipped iu many countries." Sir Samuel said it would be a enistake to impose a rigid plan of defence throughout the Empire. We must tell them the position at the Imperial Conference and leave them to decide how far they are prepared or able to co-operate, ' ' he said. "They will certainly find that any isolated system of defence is estravagant and inefficient. "Imperial defence has alwayS depended on big-scale mobility, and that is why the Singapore base is essential to security. We are building virtually a new fieet. The cost of ships has doubled and trebled since pre-war days, but we can still build ships stronger, better, and quickei than anybody else. Those ships will once again confirm the influencp of British sea power." Sir Samuel deprecated wild statements that air power had superseded sea power, which, however, must make the fullest possible use of air power, thus extending the range of the fleet's attack by hundreds of miles, and ensuring that British sea power was again the greatest force for peace throughout tho world. "We will make air power the most efC-ective instrument of mobilt: defence throughout the Empire," he said.. "We will equip the army with an expeditionary force ready for any emergency and suffieiently strong to carry out the traditional duties. We need fortitude to fulfi] these onerous tasks, and also magnanimity throughout the world, outside the Empire, and even to old foes. We are bad haters, and although we never abandon old friends, yet we are always ready to make new ones."