FAR BEHIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1930, Page 7

FAR BEHIND.

BRITAIN'S AIR FORCE

Fourth in Strength Among Great Powers.

ESTIMATES SHOW INCREASE,

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received 1 p.m.)

RUGBY, March 18.

Introducing the Air Estimates in the House of Commons, Mr. A. S l . Montague, Under-Secretary for Air, said that the revised total of last year's Estimates, allowing for a supplementary Estimate of £.760,000, was £16,960,000. This year there was an increase of £890,000, and the total was £17,850,000.

This increase was due mainly to the provision of up-to-date equipment, which ■was essential alike for safety and efficiency, the -coining needs of civil aviation, and an additional outlay on scientific research work.

During, the financial year ending March 31 five additional squadrons would have been added to the establishment of the Air Force for purposes of home defence. One of these was a regular squadron and the other four were organised on the cadre or auxiliary basis.

It was first intended that 25 per cent of the home defence force should be on. this non-regular basis, but at the present time the proportion was nearly 33 per cent. Auxiliary squadrons did not, in their early days, require to be equipped on the same scale as regular squadrons. They required, in the first instance, machines of training rather than service types, but as these squadrons reached maturity provision had to be made for equipping them with up-to-date service aircraft.

Mr. Montague continued: "I would like to. stress the moderation and mi provocative character of the British air policy and expenditure. Our Air Force is substantially exceeded in terms of first line strength by France, Italy and the United States, and the. Estimates, which I am now introducing show an actual reduction on the gross figures compared with the Air Estimates of five years ago, which is in striking contrast with the very large increases in the air expenditure of other Powers during the eame period. Half as Strong as France. "This, moreover, is despite the fact that our overseas requirements for garrison purposes in the Middle East and India are much greater than those of other countries. On the basis of metropolitan strengths we have considerably less than half the power standard compared with our nearest neighbour, but the Government does not propose to be drawn into competition in air armaments. Expansion will only take place in so far as it is forced upon us by developments abroad and no other course remains open. "The development of the home defence Air Force is proceeding slowly on well-cbnsidered lines, the aim being quality rather than quantity." Uses of Air Power. As an. instance of the successful use of air power Mr. Montague mentioned that in Palestine the prompt arrival of 50 soldiers by air during the recent troubles did much to prevent further serious riots. Aircraft were also able to drive off attacks by Arabs upon isolated Jewish colonies before the arrival of ground reinforcements.

Offensive action from the air was taken altogether eleven times. This proved the salvation in many instances ■of otherwise defenceless communities and there was no evidence of any innocent persona having suffered.

Mr. Montague gave other instances of signal services rendered by the Royal Air Force in dealing with rebellious tribes and similar work, in Koweit, Iraq, Sudan and the Aden Protectorate. He said that in many, cases heavy loss of life had thereby been saved. British Engines Triumph. The speaker pointed out that the outstanding achievement during the last year in engine progress had been the intensive development oi the Rolls-Royce engine used in the * aircraft which won the Schneider Trophy at 328.63 miles an hour. 'By normal standards this engine should give approximately 820 horse.power, but the two engines, used actually sustained an output of over 1900 horse power over the course. This triumph was increased a few days later when the commanding officer of the .High-Speed Flight set up a world's record of 357.7 miles an hour upon a Supermarine Rolls-Royce aircraft. It had since been decided not to continue Government participation in this race. Undoubtedly useful experience had been gained from, these contests in the past and official participation was, on that account, justified, but further progress could now be made with greater economy by other means. It. was hoped that the widespread public interest displayed would make it possible for the Royal Aero Club and the aircraft industry to organise future' contests without Government assistance. ■ Oversea Services. ' The increase in the civil aviation vote was mainly due to the provision for an additional subsidy in respect of the air service to South Arriea. Negotiations for the installation of a- weekly service between London and Capetown had been brought to a successful issue.

The Government of the Union of South Africa would make a substantial contribution towards the subsidy over a five-year period arid would lend its support and co-operation willingly.

It was contemplated that a regular service between Alexandria and Tanganyika should commence in the autumn of this year and the through service to Capetown in the spring of 1931.

The Government of India, he said, had now extended the England-India service from Karachi to Delhi by means of aircraft chartered from, and operated by, Imperial Airways. The preparation of ground organisation of the route across India was being vigorously pushed forward. The section to Calcutta would be ready at the end of March, and it was hoped that by autumn sufficient progress would ' have been made to render possible the operation to Rangoon.

Proposals had been submitted to the Air Ministry for the operation of the remaining section between Rangoon "and Australia, and it was hoped to find means in conjunction with the Governments of India and Australia "to -inau•gurate a through service to Australia 'as soon as possible after the route along the coast of Burma had been organised.

Future of Airships. Dealing with airships, Mr. Montague said that undoubtedly from a constructional viewpoint the completed airships > had definitely disproved many gloomy forecasts. Meteorological investigations of the Indian route showed that the . conditions would generally be adverse on the return _ journey both between Karachi and ismalia, and between Ismalia and Cardington, with the consequence that a large, reserve of fuel would have to be 'carried for the first experimental flight to the East of the RlOl. Having regard to the need for a safety policy in a programme of this expensive character, it was decided not to attempt the return flight to ' India in March or April. An extra bag would be inserted in the 11101 during the summer, which would Increase her capacity by 500,000 cubic feet,, and give her an additional net lift of about nine tons. The bag, with th,e consequential extra lift, was found to be possible because of the satisfactory strength which the airship's tests had disclosed. The'proposed programme for the RlOl was a flight to Karachi and back in September or October, then again to Karachi in December or January, after which there would be mooring trials and experimental flying from Karachi. The programme for the RIOO consisted of flights to Montreal between May. and September, and schedule of flights between Cardington and Ismailia between October and March, 1931. Opposition Criticism. Sir Samuel Hoare, Air Minister in the late Conservative Government, pointed out that this country was only fourth or fifth in the list of air Powers, and each of the other great air Powers, America, France and Italy, was at present engaged on a programme of further extension. At the present moment we were thinking . mainly about naval disarmament, but lie was inclined to take the view that in years to come the most urgent disarmament question would be air disarmament. It was a sinister fact that the expenditure of all the great Powers, except ourselves, in air armaments was literally bounding up year by year. The expenditure of France had risen no less , than 113 per cent during the last five years, that of Italy 25 per cent, and that of the United States 140 per cent. Sir Samuel suggested to Mr. Montague that he should investigate again the problem in which he himself was interested before he went out of office, ( namely, the possibility of arriving at a ' parity agreement between the three great Powers of Western Europe, France, Italy and ourselves. If they could reach such agreement there would be less risk of air armaments going up and that agreement would be the best basis for a more general agreement to be reached between all the Powers of the world. .