BEATTY TELLS WHY.

Shannon News, 31 July 1923, Page 1

BEATTY TELLS WHY.

—♦. ' » SINGAPORE, GUARDIAN OF . • EAST. OIL FOR THE NAVY. To keep open the sea communications and also to protect the Burma ,oil supplies, essential in wartime, are the main reasons for the development ot the new Naval base at Singapore. Earl Beatty explained the need, for the. base when lie attended a private gathering of membis of Parliament. It is necessady to establish a base in the East, first, because the Navy must keep open the sea comTnunications or the Empire by operating in advance of .the main trade routes. Secondly, the Navy must guard the Imperial territories and the sources of supplies. Tho Fleet cannot operate without fuel supplies, docking and repairs. The facilities at Singapore are comparable to the garage for motor-cars. Remembering that the whole safety Of the Empire is .dependent on the Fleet, it is doubtful, Earl . Beatty pointed out, whether anything was more important than this base in the East. If, in the event of war, .the were not sent to the East, then the British possessions here would fall into hostile hands, trade would disappear", the Indian Ocean trade would be thrown Open" to heavy attack, and India, Australia, and New Zealand would also be*open to attack.

. “.The base cannot be established m Australia,” according to the Admiral. It must be a point from which the Fleet would, be able to operate. If Australia were chosen, the Fleet would be compelled to pass Ceylon and Singapore. If the oil fuel (i supplies at Singapore were destroyed .the /Fleet would be ina precarious position. - Assuming that the -Fleet arrived. at the, Australian base, then Hong" Kong and North Borneo would be open to attack, thus involving the disappearance of the Far East trade. The Indian Ocean trade would be harassed, and the position shortly would become so unbearable that the Fleet would be conipelled to go back to Singapore, which it had passed a month earlier, having done nothing in the meantime.

The Fleet returning 1 would almost certainly find that Singapore had fallen—a disastrous position, for the Fleet would be isolated in the East without supplies to enable it to operate.

, Singapore was . selected, said Karl Beatty, firstly, because it covers tlu approaches to India and the trade and sea communications of the Indian •Ocean; secondly, because it covers !ha sources of th e oil supply .of Burma and Persia; thirdly, because it flanks the lilies of approach to Australia and tNe.w Zealand; fourthly,.because labour .arid material are available, and periodical 'docking is essential to maintain the speed and endurance of the Fleet. One ship with reduced speed diminishes th e whole Fleet’s speed. If Malta were the nearest dock for a big repair job like a damaged propeller, the sliip would be absent from four to six weeks, but if docked at Singapore it would be' absent from the Fleet, only the actual time required for the repairs. Barge shore reserves of oil fuel were necessary, because the world’s tarikei tonnage was insuflicient to supply the Fleet.'