BRITISH SERVICE BILL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 50, 8 December 1948, Page 5

BRITISH SERVICE BILL

COMMONS AGREES TO LONGER PERIOD LONDON, Dec. 7.. The House of Commons read the National Service Amendment Bill a third time by 218 votes to 25. The House in committee agreed to the .clause increasing the national service period from 12 months to 18 months. Large-scale abstentions left the Governmen with 257 supporters against 30 opposing votes. The minority was composed of Liberals and Labour “rebels.” Other Labour members, while supporting the clause, strongly criticised the Government for ‘ a wretched tale of weakness, and incompetence.” Mr Reginald Paget (Labour) said that Britain had an Army twice the size of that of 1938 at four times the cost, but she was not capable of putting into the field one-third of the force she could have put then, “when there was trouble in Malaya we had to send tire Guards because there was nothing else,” he said. “That is what we are getting for our money and manpower conscription.” Mr Ben Levy (Labour) said that the extra service period would entail a grave setback to Britain’s economic recovery. “Let no one suppose that this is going to stampede Stalin into a mood of amiability,” he said. Th. . Bill is a battle lost to us m the cold war and we must not interpret it any ot The of .tjie tion (Mr R. A. Eden) denied that Lntain, by extending the national service period, was “giving Mr Stalin any present in the cold war.