London, Dec. 14, unity and integrity of the British Empire depend upon tthe maintenance of sea power," declared Sir Thomas Inskip, [Minister for the Ca-ordination of Defence, in a speech yesterday. The Navy, including the mercantile marine, he added, was the ultimate sanction of British unity, Referring to the Singapore defences, Sir Thomas Inskip said that "they have had a profound effect both on the safety and lunity of the Empire, The defences represented an achievement of the very first magnitude. It means that we have a world-wide system of formidable defences.
"We are completing our defences, both at home and in other paris of {the Empire, so that it may no longer bbe necessary for us to refrain from Jappropriate action and that no longer may our Foreign Secretary of our Prime Minister in this or any country be hampered by consider tions of weakness or default on our part."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.