HOUSE OP COMMONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1923, Page 3

HOUSE OP COMMONS.

iUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CA-ULE ASSOCIATION. INTERESTING DEBATE. LONDON, July 20. In the House of Commons nnval deonte, Commander Burney said the Singapore Xaval Base would ho a vio- > lntiou of the spirit or the letter of the Washington Treaty. Ho bclioved that a combination of the airship and the aeroplane would eventually eliminate tlio floating battleship. However, Singapore was vital to the defence of Australia, and of Britain’s eastern trade. The Oppositionists wore gambling with the fate of the Empire. .Major Ilay said it would require two thousand artillerymen and two thousand infantry to protect Singapore on the land side. Colonel Brabazon declared that the Singapore scheme concerned Empiio more than it did England. He suggested that they should not commit the - country before the question was considered. If there was danger of a war with Japan a generation hence, then Singapore would he the most important strategical point in the world, hut the proposed policy would load to an expenditure of 50 inilions. Was the country prepared to face that? Sir F. Banbury said that so long as . human nature was as it was, there would he wars arid rumours of wars. Tho only security was preparedness. Admiral Gaunt, in a breezy, sailorlike way, swept aside all objections saving:—“You must keep in touch with the extremities of your Empire, and for goodness sake he prepared for war if you want to run an Empire. You must have a base somewhere, and there is no place hotter than Singapore.”

Viscount Curzon rejected the suggestion that the Singapore plan was a threat to Japan, which was six and a half days’ steam away. Distances in the Pacific were terrific. Both in Australia find in New Zealand, he said, the’ Singapore base was ardently desired. He continued : —“Surely this country

when Australia appeals for help, will not say to her: ‘Wo are very sorry You are in danger, we know, hut wo cannot come to vour assistance.” Mr C. W. Darbisliirc (a former resident of Singapore) objected to the policy of the base, because it was an aggressive one, and would make a v. a inevitable in the future. Mr Shirley Bonn said the Japanese had far more sense than to think this naval base 3000 miles from their shores was part of a preparation to attack them.

Commander Carlyen Bellairs said that successive Committees of imperia. defence had been convinced that Sin- — gapore was a vital necessity. Without it they might have to abandon the whole Empire, and also their interests in the Far East. Lady Astor said she hoped that, even now, the Admiralty could agree to postpone a filial Singapore decision, until the Imperial Conference. If the Conference agreed, there could not be a voice raised against the proposal. Captain Wedgwood Benit said Britain was the most heavily taxed of all the signatories of the Washington Treaty, and she was the first to embark on an expenditure which was an infringement of the spirit of that treaty.

WHO IS BASE AIMED AT?

LONDON, July 10. .In the naval debate, Colonel Aiiierv, replying for the Government, repudiated the charge that the Singapore base would be a violation of tlfe Washington Treaty. * Britain, lie said, led the world in the fulfilment of that Treaty. It was perfectly clear that the Singapore base was outside the zone of uhu-actioii. The Japanese, before and since the Conferense. had been engaged on a policy of doekvard and naval base extension, on which they were spending largo sums. They said nothing about it at the Conference. Japan, in the present year, was spending two million on her naval bases. America, on the East side, was strengthening her i’ortifictitious. These operations had no oflensive objects. As a matter ot foot, it was their nhioofc to establish zones of neutrality in the Pacific, and to separate tiie nations by such distance's that The nations could not act offensively against each other. The only reason wTiv tho British Government considered this base was because the* capital ship to-day was very different, from that of pre-war days. It was difficult to piutcct swell craft from attacks oi submarines. Therefore it was necessary to have a graving dock big enough to hold these ships in Pacific waters, lie said: “If we had nnv aggressive designs against the Japanese, wo should never have proposed a scheme under nhich we- would he deprived of the use of Honk Kong, where we already had a base. The distance from Yokohama to Singapore is the same as from Gibraltar to New York. If we were to put an additional dock at Gibraltar, could it he said that we had menacing (lesions on America? We cannot expect tile Dominions to help to defend the Empire unless we are able to help them* There is no reason wnv the ostimated total cost, of ten millions and n half should he exceeded." The closure was then carried by -■-* votes to 133.

COST OF PENSIONS

LONDON, July 20.

In the House of Commons. Mr Tryon stated the total expenditure of the Ministry of Pensions since 191/ to the 30th June last, was approximately -UK millions.

EVACUATION OK TURKEY. LONDON, July 20. Mr Baldwin, in the House of Commons. said that if the Turkish Treaty were signed on the lines reported from Lausanne, Turkish Territory would he evacuated within six weeks of Angora’s ratification.