of Straits Settlements Sails Through Ribbon Singapore, Feb, 14, 'HOUSANDS of spectators mingled their cheers with the booming of guns as the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Shenton Thomas, opened the great £20,000,000 Singapore graving dock and naval base to-day.
The weather was dull and sultry as Sir Shenton Thomas, on board the yacht Sea Belle Il, si failed through the ribbon drawn across the 130-foot entrance to the newly-completed dock.
Half an hour Jater the Governor, at the invitation of Col. J. J. Liewellin, Civil Lord of the Admiralty, named the second largest graving dock in the world, the King George VI Dock, and unveiled the tablet situated at its bank.
Earlier, Sir Shenton Thomas and Col, Llewellin, accompanied by Vice Admiral L, G., Crabbe, lately Acting. Commander-in-Chief of the China Squadron, made a 2% hours trip round the Island in the Sea Belle If to the Straits of Johore from the Singapore Roads, passing the new base on their way.
Other important features of the Inland's £30,000,000 defences were also passed by the Sea Belle LI. These included 15 and 18 inch guns with a range of 20 miles sot in huge concrete emplacements, Just before reaching the base, the party in the Government yacht' was Joined by the Sultan of Johore, 12. H. Sir Ibrahim, and the Sea Belle I was then impressively escorted two patrol launches and two Fleet alr-arm squadrons. Tt was greeted on arrival by a salute of seventeen suns, "Enterprise for Peace In_ opening the dock. which he described as "a great enterprise for peace," Sir Thomas Shenton paid a tribute not only to the Colony, which had presented the land, but to the whole of Malaya, which had shared the burden of Imperial defence.
cited as an instance the Colony's: contribution of more than, £3,600,000 five years, including £60,000 voted by the Legislative Council this morne ing at. the instance of non-official members. He also mentioned the Jorge contributions made by the Federated Malay States and Johore, amounting to more than £2,000,000 1 year over the last five year the _baso 1s not_a challenge to "sir Shenton Thomas declared, "but an insurance against war, A symbol of the care of the Mother Country for her people in the British Empire, it {s one of the most potent Influences on elvitization, but it must be strong."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.