EMPIRE AIR DEFENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10350, 14 March 1925, Page 5

EMPIRE AIR DEFENCE.

MATTER OP G.O-ORD I NATION

LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHTS.

EXPERIMENTS IN.SOUTH AFRICA

(Per Press- Association —Copyright.) (Renter.) (Received This Day, 8.50 a.m.) LONDON, March 13. Co-ordination of Empire defences hulked large on the resumption in the House of Commons of the debate on *' the Air Force Estimates. At the conclusion of the debate, the .Secretary for Air, Sir Samuel Hoare, said he hoped during the present year to organise long-distance flights within the Empire. The first would be from Cairo to Capetown, the second from Cairo to Chad. These he hoped would be the forerunners of m an y others to show the flag in the. air over a great part of the Empire. - ■ Commander Kenworthy drew attention to the absence of provision for air . defences at Singapore. ~.•', ~ Sir Samuel Hoare replied that such expenditure was at present unnecessary but the item would appear on the Air Estimates in due course as the bmgapore programme developed. ♦ Commander Burney, Conservative member for Uxbridge, said it was necessary to have an Imperial stocktaking. The defence of the British Isles was aerial, whereas that of the Dominions was naval. Thus there was competition for the money available tor the defence of the Empire almost every , day The late Government had rejected the Singapore scheme, and more money was .voted for home defence. Britain must notify the Dominions that she was working on some consistent policy.