New Britain herald., 1929-11-26
SINGAPORE DELAY
 AIDS NAVAL CUTS
British Action on Base Takes as
 Favorable Sign

Washington, Nov. 2G-Thr Brit ish governments decision to de- lAN work on it's great naval base at '1nGapore is regarded here as fur. ! )h"r evidence of Premier MacDou- HIds good will in advance of tue london conference and it is also supposed to have been made in rec = ''nltlon ol the fact that the nor" r. G"Nal reduction is achieved the less important will b. the worlds naval! i;lscs.
 The big naval powers have put i- 'bese bases right out in each oth- ITS front wards. so that d look dt lde map makes it appear as ii lh" United States and Britain were shaking their fists under each oth. "r's noses and also under the nose of Japan,
 Three main purposes are served . hN naval bases:
 |, Strategic position for le. lmac or attack.
 ,. Fuel stations.
 :. Sites for drNdockS and oth- rr repair facilities
 some bases comprise all three "i these features and Othcre only "u" or two Of them. The British -I has" at Singapore was designed to >2rlude q $2O.o000 GOO drydock suit -"Ir for battcShips. some of the British bases in the Pacific hav" drNdochs hut major repair work On her largest mcn-of-war have had 10 he done at Malta in the Mcd- '"rraucan.
 Called on Before \ British labor government call 'i off the Singapore work once be W". when Macdonald was premier H l924. But the conservatives. who fd originally begun it. resumed ii hon they returned 10 power in %2'. One of the arguments for th" " est suspension is that in case tlta 11dOn conference decides to abol- l capital ships there will be no : ""d of compl"tins the Singapore ,,,
 England has @G naval bases. tine ! 7 altcd States seven and Japan six "ordiHg to a list compiled by the 2"eiYn Policy Association. Bril- t.-
 tpire over inc world. Ours aI,. 1hncd to the Pacific and the
 ribbean Japan's are in Japa-
 and Chinese waters.
 The British preponderance Of j.. .'a is designed primarily to pro- ' British trade routes. The a%2pore base commands the main
 ld" routes 10 the Far East and i "S'raI'a and has been regarded IS ll rntiaI to tin" defense require ! ients of Australia and New Xea- i ud. Japanese have often attacked
 establishment as q threat 10 { cir country or as d tacit adnlis- on that Britain regarded Japan as potential enemy. Labor and lib "aI leaders in England supported |. ,l' view.
 Six British Bases
 There are six British naval bases " this hemisphere. Coins "outh on .. Atlantic one finds three at Hali-
 t. Bermuda and Jamaica. Square
 facing LIS on Bermuda is q base
 dipped with doGcnscs drydocll an | -"l supply. The base &t Kingston.
 uajca, is close to jhe Panama nal. There's Il British fuel bass.
 Port stanley in the Falkland Is. ads off the lower tip Of south m"rica in the Atlantic, another tt . >rt caatrics, above the northern
 I2t of south America and q sixth I.*Quimault British Columbia.
 5d dCtCn$cS and drydochH. Last
 lmcr there were unofficial su%- | ions m Britain that the bases he Caribbean zone be Gemilitar-
 or ncutrali%cd and although rc.
 ion generally was favorable.
 rc was no official comment.
 rSG bases. however. do not coIt-
 ja with the large modern we'll
 ended bases. A small cruiser
 'adron is maintained at Bermu- = but Notifications there are ne.;- 'blc. Kingston has a fuel station
 I IS most stratcgically locatol.
 has no drydoch and no defense3
 ,1h talking about. Port Castrios only an anchorage. Our govern nt never appears 10 have worried | out any of these bases
 Malta is Largest ! >i2lja is tn" largest. strongest and ! st equipped British naval base lF-
 in tn" central Mediterranean "lf way between tn" important 'aa at Gibraltar and those of Susn nd Port said
 ! In inc last decade or two our { "'n navy department has developed bases at the Panama Canal Zone. earl lIarbor in Hawaii, Guantana- 1 70 Bay ill Cuba and the Virgin Is- "nds Our other three outlying na- 1 '.l bases are al Cham, Samoa ami [! 1Nite in the Philippines, tFc last which has dcrcnscs, drydocll and ! jrl tanks. Under the Washington "catN, these Pacific bases may D" jl 'n@ircd but not expanded.