London, Sept, 22.
"Far from any question of Britain abdicating her position in the Medlterranean or scuttling Malta, we in-fend to face the new, difeutt prob-Jems which have arisen and make our Position quite secure in the future," said the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Samuel Hoare, ina. statement issued to-day on the conclusion of his cruise in the Mediterranean.
"This" he emphasized "is not a threat against anybody. We have no new Mediterranean policy." Our polley remains to live in the frlend-Mest' possible relations with other Powers and make the Mediterranean Secure for our communications, "The problem of the alr hi obviously made a difference, but not such as to revolutionize our polley, Dut to cause us to adapt ourselves."
He always felt, Sir Samuel proceeded, that Britain had not_given half enough attention to. Cyprus, Whose military future was being con sidered, "Tam quite sure," he declared, "that Cyprus should have a better harbour for general development of the fe-
In Torodos, they had a first-class summer station at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
The crisis caused by the war between Italy and Ethiopia was worth, while because it served to concen: rate Britain's attention of the Medilerranean situation and remedy her deficiencies there.
Sir Samuel said he had visited the Mediterranean (1) to make contact with the officers and crews of the British fleet there, as he disliked having only 9 paper knowledge of his work; and (2) because he to check up on. the lessons the Mediterranean in the 1 months.
'At Gibraltar and Malta, he dis: cussed in detail the question of defence of the dockyards, He was much impressed by the magnitude of the pipe-line work at Haifa, where the Navy had' impro-vized, out of old rolling stock, an armoured train which was doing very useful work.
Sir Samuel's statement was made before pressmen at the Admiralty. Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.