THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 March 1923, Page 2

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

AUSTRALIA!? AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. NAVAL ESTIMATES. LONDON, March 12. In the House of Commons, Colonel Aniery, in Committee of supply on the Naval estimates, said that last yeai s estimates were based on a new policy of limited armaments, as proscribed by the Washington Treaty. It was only in the present Estimates that the full effect of the Admiralty’s policy would be seen. Tn order to effect drastic retrenchment. the personnel had been reduced bv 23,000 officers and men, and the dockyards by 10,000 men. Britain had also rendered impotent, i«r tip l - ing purposes, seventeen splendid oapi- : tal ships. She need not have taken I action until every Power had ratified I toe Washington. Tn doing so she ran 1 no small risk, but this act of faith had i secured for the taxpayer immediate A and great economies. These estimates, ho said, represented the irreducible ■ minimum for security. Comparing the United States and British Navies. Britain had interpreted the onc-Powor standard with a latitude that would : only be justified by a desire to avoid competition in armament, and a conI ception of relations of goodwill between Britain and the United States. 1 Britain could not drop into second, or ' third place. Her great Navy, if once ’ let down, could not he improvised. The • Government was not prepared to run j the risk of “a gamble of that kind.’ He would not be doing bis duty if he suggested further reductions. These estimates were framed to meet an exceptional financial situation, and had been achieved in part by a postponement of necessary expenditure, which would have to be met when they rc- | turned to more normal conditions, j He announced the Admiralty wan making a beginning, on a. very small scale, oil a new naval base at Singapore capable ol dealing with a fleet of modern battleships. It would cost something like eleven millions. This would be spread over a great, number of years. Mr Lambert deprecated any coinpai ison of their naval strength with America’s. He hoped they would never build against America. With their present lack of aircraft, he doubted whether they could support a half-Power standard, Mr Philip Snowden (Labour) moved a resolution expressing regret that the , ' sum which the Government proposed to spend on the naval services was inconsistent with their pledges of retrenchment, and that the House culled on i the Government to summon an Inter- • j national Conference to consider further 1 limitation of naval armaments. 5 Mr Lee Smith seconded the motion, [ He complained that the Admiralty had treated the recommendations of the Gothics Economic Committee with con- ' tempt. ’ Mr New bold (Communist) said: "1 ' am going to vote against the Navy, Army, and Air estimates every time, in ’ accordance with the policy of our , founder, Liebkneeht: but directly the i country is Communist, we shall not lie- - sitate to defend it with a Red Navy • and Red Army.”

Viscount Cur/.on urged that the Navv was essentially an Imperial concern. An Imperial Conference should he held to decide the respective eon‘tributions by the Empire partners. Mr Snowden’s resolution was defeated by 210 votes to 153 vocs. The vote was agreed to.