SINGAPORE BASE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1930, Page 8

SINGAPORE BASE

THE NAVAL HOLIDAY

DOUR .MORE -NJfiCBSSAKY

LONDON,, May 8

It is difficult to follow tlie 1 * argument prevalent in Government quarters (writes the naval correspondent of the “Morning Post”), that because a capital ship holiday has been arranged until 1936, therefore there is no reason to go on steadily with the SingaporeBase.

In the first place Singapore is not being developed, primarly, as a battleship base, but as one for cruisers, although a graving dork that will take a battleship or battle-cruiser is included in the plans. This is a wise policy that is dictated by history. There ‘have been many cases, for'v example, Malta and Gibraltar where parsimony, or lack of foresight, have allowed docks to be built that have eventually proved to be too small, f and large and expensive alterations have had to be made later.

Therefore, as a dry dock is being built, it should be of sufficient capacity to take the largest vessels, either warships or merchant ships, that can lie foreseen.

On account of the capital ship holiday any squadron of heavy ships that we might find . l necessary to maintain in the Far East must, until 1140 at the earliest, be composed of old ship's. It is only fair to assume that old ships would require more repairs and docking than new ones.

Therefore the' capital ship holiday renders the steady completion of Singapore more necessary than ever. The same argument applies to our cruiser squadrons. Owing to the interference with the replacement programme these squadrons must lie composed for the next ten years of ships that 'are past their prime.

Safeguarding of vast wealth.

Now on any day of the year (the same authority goes on to say) the value of British merchant ships and cargoes in Far Eastern and Australian waters and in the Indian Ocean is over £150,000,000. Surely £0,500,000, spread over a number of years, is not too high an insurance to pay for the safeguarding of this vast wealth.

Singapore is the focal point of all the Far Eastern trade routes. From its geographical position it is the natural place for the concentration oi those British and Dominion squadronf upon which devolves the duly of protecting our vital commerce. That this is necessary even in peacetime is shown irom Mr Alexander’s remarks about China in Ids. explanatory statement on the. current Naval Estimates.

I “Piracy,” ]ic says, “is still provaI lout both on the high ,seas and in in- * land waters and the responsibility of (dealing with this menace to peaceful ] commerce falls upon the Navy.” I Consternation was caused in the Doi minions when the Labour oovernine.il! stopped work at Singapore in 1924. uneasiness and dismay have now become evident, even at hints at another delay in the. completion o,f the work. This is more especially the ease since, except for a fraction, the money spent up to date has been supplied by the Dominions.