NEWS OF THE WEEK.
1111E most notable event of the week has been the Government's decision, not to proceed with the development of the Singapore Naval Base. The Prime Minister, speaking on Tuesday in the Commons, admitted that Australia and New Zealand were strongly opposed to the abandonment of the scheme, though Canada and South Africa took the opposite view. He based his decision, however, not on any disagreement in the Empire or here, but on the ground that the expenditure on arma- ments at Singapore would counteract that establishment of confidence which it was the foreign policy of the Government to secure. At the same time, we should let the world know that if we are driven to extend our defensive policy we shall extend it. We had an oppor- tunity at the moment for setting a good example by keep- ing our military preparations down to a nucleus, though, of course, an efficient nucleus, while at the same time pushing forward other methods of obtaining security.
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