BRITISH NAVY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 286, 2 December 1932, Page 7

BRITISH NAVY.

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.

First Lord's Reassurance of

House of Commons

WIDE SPHERE OF SERVICE. (United r.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, December 1. The First Lord of tlie Admiralty, Sir Bolton Eyres-Monscll, in the House of Commons, replied to a private motion declaring that it would be dangerous further to reduce the personnel of the Navy, and urging the Government to make no further unilateral naval reductions.

Sir Bolton said that until the end of 1930 Britain was bound, as to types and numbers of vessels by the Washington and London treaties. In view of the permitted programme of replacements nobody need be alarmed that the Navy was too weak for its functions.

The Empire had been built under the protection of the Navy, and the continuance of the British Commonwealth of Nations was the biggest guarantee of peace for the world. The British Navy was regarded as the helper and protector of mankind all over the world.

Within the past 18 months 18 requests had been received to send British cruisers to places where the populations were distressed and perplexed. Britain had given a striking lead to the world in naval disarmament since the war. Sir Bolton admitted that there were grounds for the apprehension that the naval personnel, whieli was not governed .by the treaties, bad been reduced to too low a figure.