BRITISH DEFENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 115, 25 February 1937, Page 5

BRITISH DEFENCE

FORMING BALLOON UNITS. A NUCLEUS PERSONNEL. AUXILIARY TO THE AIR FORCE. {United Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, February 24. Balloon units will he formed on an auxiliary Air Force basis, with a nucleus personnel. It was stated in the House of Commons, in reply to a question, that 309 men were under training for the nucleus. The recruitment of the auxiliary force would be announced later. —British Official Wireless.

SUPPLIES OF METALS.

NO DIFFICULTY IN PURCHASE

(Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, February 24

The Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence (Sir Thomas Inskip), replying in the House of Commons to a question whether any action was being taken to ensure that the three defence departments had necessary supplies of such metals as lead and spelter, and whether it was proposed to take any action to prevent speculators holding up supplies, said that, the defence de partments had had -no difficulty in ob‘ taming such supplies of these metals as they required. Tho second part of the question, therefore, did not arise.— British Official Wireless. LOAN PROPOSAL OPPOSED. ‘ MOTION FOR REJECTION. (Received This Dav, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, February 23. The text of the Government’s Defence Bill which provides for the granting of powers to the Treasury to issue sums for expenditure not exceeding £400,000,000, has been a-eleased. The second reading of the bill will be debated on Thursday. The Opposition has tabled a motion for the rejection of the bill, as follows: “That the House views with misgiving the massing of huge competitive national armaments without any constructive foreign policy based upon collective security under the League of Nations ; that the House is opposed to financing defence expenditure by loan, and accordingly declines to proceed with the bill, which will weaken the national credit, raise prices, and depress the standard of living of the people. and which, moreover, is unaccompanied by any effective measures to prevent profiteering or to co-ordinate the defence forces.”—British Official Wireless. INCENDIARY BOMB ATrACKS. THE EMERGENCY BRIGADES. LONDON, February 23. The emergency fire brigades organisation against air attack with incendiary bombs outlined by tbe Home Secretary (Sir John Simon) in the House of Commons will involve the accumulation in peace time of large stocks of emergency fire fighting appliances, including liigh-power pumping engines and trailer pumps, with hose and other equipment. It would also he necessary to prepare in advance for the establishment of emergency fire stations and a system of patrol units and fire posts to keep all streets under frequent observation, and to be in a position to attack incipient fires without delay. For these purposes a large number of auxiliary-personnel would be required to be trained in peace time'for \Vhdle-tirhe or part-time service with fire" brigades in an emergency. "

Sir John said the Government was considering representations ' from local authorities about the incidence of the cost of any necessary fire precautions and emergency fire brigades. Pending a decision on this question the Government was undertaking to provide in kind approved types of appliances with hose and equipment up to a proportion of the local authorities’ requirements. Under approved emergency schemes grants woidd be made toward the cost of initial training and the equipment of the auxiliary personnel. The local management would remain but there was in preparation a system of regional organisation which would tend to bring about co-operation among local authorities.— British Official Wireless.