NAVAL RIVALRY

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1928, Page 6

NAVAL RIVALRY

BRITAIN’S NEEDS.

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

OTTAWA, November 17

“ I wish one could see a greater disposition on the part of the American people to study actually the,position of Great Britain, and see how very peraliar it is,” said Sir Austen Chamberlain, in an interview at Quebec, on Saturday, when asked for comment on Mr Coolklge’s Armistice Day statement, “We have no rivalry with he United States. We have no desire to start or enter into naval competition with them, but our circumstances are very peculiar, and I believe they would judge us more fairly if they appreciated them. We are the centre of a world Empire. While their communications are mainly continental, ours lie across the seas. We have often no more than a few weeks’ supply of food in our country. We are dependent on keeping open the sea communications with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The United States, in the matter of food, is almost entirely self-supporting, while approaches to her coasts, with the exception of Panama, which is heavily fortified, are across open sea. The approaches to England arc through narrow waters, exposing trade to peculiar dangers. Canadian grain and meat reaching Britain have to pass through the narrow channels surrounding our coast. Supplies from the East or Australia have to pass through what is little more than a canal, the moment you leave the Indian Ocean. II \uii saw, as I have, the chart of vessels sunk around the Mediterranean, and British Isles, during the war, you would find the crosses indicar..ng wrecks almost cover the floor • f the sea waters. It we fail to guard the vtial arteries, Canada and other p«»rts of the Empire will lose their mar-ets. and be plunged in distress, while we starve. If these facts were recognised, I ain confident that the American people would give more sympathetic consideration to the British case, and with tne goodwill which exists on both sides, I believe we should reconcile what little differences we have.” Sir Austen Chamberlain sailed for home on Saturday.