BRITISH NAVY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1933, Page 5

BRITISH NAVY

INCREASE URGED BY LORD LLOYD (United Press Association—By J .ectrio Telegraph —Copyright) LONDON, September '26. iLq'rd f.Mpyd (formerly 'High 'Commissioner in Egypt and Governor oi Bombay, who has taken a prominent part in the discussion of foreign policy). was interviewed regarding Au s Valia's New ‘defence policy, by the represeutive of ” the. “Sydney Sun.” Lord Lloyd said : “It .is most cneonragVig to learn of the great deIfemee campaign of Australia. Aus--1 ralia has given the Imperial Parliament a badly-needed lead, which t I hope, will be followed. It is one thing to give the world an example of disarmament,, and another thing to persist in a policy oi unilateral disarmament. which actually would encourage other nations to seize the chance of augmenting their nava] power at the expense of England.” He said that the British Empire could not watch the events of the Far East, and the rising hegemony of Japan in those waters, without concern. Lord Lloyd concluded: “The fact that America is the author of ■the Kellogg Peace Pact doos not blind us to the huge American ex pnng ion in naval expenditure -and personnel "There is Franco-Italian rivalry for mastery in the Mediterranean This is not a nlatter of mere academic interest to the Power whose vital communications run through that sea -“The naval ’ requirements (of other countries are nowise comparable to Britain’s naval requirements, because the Empire’s sea communications are vital for England and the Dominions. We must again be free to build' what is necessary for our own safety. It is not a ’question of Rivalry. Let the other nations build for their needs ;■ but we .must be free to do the same. We know, from the considered pronouncements of Lord Beatty and Lord Jellicoe, that seventy cruisers is the bare minumum needed to defend the eighty-five thousand miles, of our sea routes. We had one hundred and tyenty cruisers before the war. At present, our world committments are far larger, and yet we have only thirty-six non-obsolete crtuser s to discharge our vast responsibilities in policing .and protection.”