AIR DEFENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 154, 11 April 1930, Page 5

AIR DEFENCE

THE EMPIRE’S PROBLEM. - A (QUESTION OF SECURITY. (United Press Association—Copyright.) . LONDON, April 9. Lord Trenehard (formerly Marshal of the Air Force), in his maiden speech in the House of Lords, called attention to the importance of an adequate and efficient air force to the British Empire. He referred to a statement recently made by the Under-Secretary for Air that to-day France had a. first line strength of 1300 aeroplanes, Italy 1100, America 900, and Great Britain 770. That meant that Britain was fourth among the Powers in air strength. He said that this fact required v«ry earnest consideration. AVe were to-day as dependent for the security of the Empire upon air power as we were upon the Navy. Lord Thomson (Secretary for Air) said that elements in air power were an air force of. sufficient strength to carry out the policy of the country, air communications sufficiently developed, an air transport system nourished and fed by an adequate aircraft industry, and, lastly, a highly-developed system of aeronautical research. No means of a purely passive defence had been_devised for dealing with attacks fi’om the air. He assured Lord Trenehard that the Government was giving its most careful attention to the subject, in which the Prime Minister was taking an active part as the head of the Committee of Imperial Defence.^ Turning to the question of air disarmament, Lord Thomson said we had never claimed a one-Power standard in the air., Air disarmament was one of the biggest problems that lay ahead. If air develomnent went on there was no town in this country which was safe from bombing. His own view was that no country could possess air power that was not a, progressive and a highly-developed country. The countries which could possess air power were very few, and they were fortunately democratically governed. AVithout their political co-operation and agreement there was, however, no prospect of disarmament, in the strict sense, in, air matters.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST AIR FORCE ADVOCATES OF NAVY AND ARMY LONDON, April 9. The debate was remarkable for arguments against the Air Force by Lord Beatty for the Navy and Lord Cavan for the Army. Lord Beatty declared that the Navy would willingly forego the disagreeable work in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea in favour of any better agency, but he asked how aeroplanes could tell the nationality of a vessel or deal with smuggling of arms. It was necessary for a sloop to draw alongside and oxamine the ship’s papers. Moreover, the weather for nine out of the 12 months would preclude air boats from operating. Finally, he asked how could an aeroplane discharge that important function of the Navy, namely, showing the flag. Lord Cavan said the question was essentially one for the Cabinet Committee of Imperial Defence. The Air Force depended on the other services. Ho then proceeded to attack indiscriminate air warfare, where lie said the innocent and guilty alike were punished. Whv the matter was never on the agenda at Geneva to humanitarians was inconceivable.