The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1929. SINGAPORE BASE.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1929. SINGAPORE BASE.

After a quiescent four years, the kv-ngapore Base shows signs of becoming a bone of contention once again. The project was. first mooted by Lloyd George in 1921, when- he innocently 1 emarked that it had been decided to

improve and extend certain bases in the I< ar East. It then lay quiet for a year or two while the nations began to think about the matter. In 1923 the new /Baldwin Government confirmed Lloyd George"’s attitude towards this new base. Mr Amery argued that the fleet must be free to go anywhere. There were then neither supplies nor suitable docks in Eastern waters. The Battle Fleet could not be sent to the Far East and be maintained there for any time. No less than sixteen vessels even then were too large for any of the docks in Eastern waters. From that moment argument waxed fast and furious, it was contended that the decision flouted the Washington Treaty. It was soon pointed out that Singapore was outside the agreed area where no docks or improvements would be made to existing bases by any nation. In fact, that was the reason why Singapore and not Hong Kong had been selected. One member of the British Parliament solemnly stood up and gave it as his opinion that it was a yaste of men and money on nothing

but a pestilential and immoral cesspool. Any way, says an Exchange, Singapore, knowing something good when it saw it. kindly made a free gift of the site for the new dock to the British Government. By 1925 the project had got so far advanced, after cancellation by the Labour Government that ten civilian officers and three workmen were kept on a whole-time job keeping the site from becoming a breeding-ground for mosquitoes. The project was progressing. Japan, of eoure, was indignant over the whole idea. Perhaps this was quite natural. Without the new dock she was in a very strong position from a naval point of view in the Eastern waters. Singapore is roughly 8000 miles from England and 3000 miles from Japan. Both Singapore and Japan are about equal distances from most spots in Australia and New Zealand. The construction of the Singapore base rather naturally was a direct challenge to Japan’s undoubted naval supremacy in her surrounding waters. In the thick of all these arguments Canada refrained from taking any part. Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland urged the construction of the base whilst South Africa had approved of the Labour Party’s intention to abandon the scheme. Perhaps the strongest argument put forward for the scheme was an appreciation of the enormous British trade interests of which Singapore holds the key. It was contended that at any given moment there was at least £180,000,000 worth of British trade afloat east of Suez. Of this total £157,000,000 was to be found in the sphere of influence that centred on Singapore. This port, was, in fact, the rallying point of the whole trade of the East. From the Singapore area alone Britain draws annually 98 per cent, of her tea supplies, 97 per cent, of her jute, 96 per cent, of her zinc ores, 89 per cent, of her wool, for New Ztaland and Australia come under the influence of Singapore. Just under 3,0 British ships carry this huge trade annually. Surely then, they argued, even if Japan does get a little bit annoyed it is worth while spending a mere ten millions on a dock. To-day there is every indication that all these old arguments will be raked up again, in fact, there are indications that to build or not to build may play an important part in settling the course of British politics in the near future. The issue is likely to be a delicate one in view of the relative strength of the political parties, which suggests that something of the nature of a compromise may be reached in the end.