DEFENCE PLANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 30, 14 November 1936, Page 5

DEFENCE PLANS

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS. POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. ADVERSE MOTION REJECTED, .United Press Association —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 11 a.m.) LONDON, November 13. The debate on the Address-in-Reply ended in the defeat, by 337 votes to 131, of the Opposition and Liberal amendment, which had been used as a text lor critiesm of the Government’s defence programme. In the later part of his speech the Prime Minister recalled that in 1933 he and his friends were worried about what was happening in Europe, yet at that time there was in Britain a stronger pacifist feeling than at any time since the war. By the events of the two succeeding years, however, Britain had itself learnt of the possible perils of the situation, and the Government had received a mandate for undertaking the defence measures it knew to be esseiitial.

“I will always trust the instinct of a democratic people,” said the Prime Minister. “They may come late, but they come ultimately.” Mr Baldwin assured the Bouse that the Government was reasonably satisfied with progress in defence and promised that if necessary it would not hesitate to ask for fuller powers. He also invited both the Leader of the Opposition and Mr Winston Churchill to confidential meetings, at which could be given, and received, special information that could not be made public. —British Official Wireless.

MEETING THE DEFICIENCIES. QUESTION OF FOOD SUPPLY. LONDON, November 12. Replying to the debate on defence in the House" of Commons, in which Mr Winston Churchill strongly criticised the Government for its delay in its progress with the pio gramme, the Prime Minister (Mi 3. Baldwin) said the completion of the programme for meeting the cumulative deficiencies of many years was a tremendous task. The defence programmes were making good progress. Ihe question of the food supply of the country iu time of war was in process of solution. A scheme of rationing had been drawn up, which could be used if emergency arose, and the Minister for Agriculture had produced a scheme for increased production in case of war. The production of aeroplane engines under the 1936 programme was entirely satisfactory. The Government was deitermined to press forward the plan already worked out, and to modify and expand it if necessary iu the light of developments, but it did not feel justified in bringing about the dislocation of trade which must follow any attempt to proceed on a more lavish scalei advocated in some quarters. Plans for coast defence and antiaircraft defence of the ports of entry had been drawn up. They were constantly under review because of the constantly increasing range of aircraft. The Government’s attitude toward the question of a Ministry for Supply, about which there were differences of opinion between the Government and Mr Churchill, was the considered judgment of the Cabinet in the light of ail the facts.—British Official Wireless.