LONDON LETTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1937, Page 18

LONDON LETTER.

OUR AIR RESERVES.

ABOUT MRS. SIMPSON.

PAT FOR RADIO TALKS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON*, January 8

Three months ahead of schedule, the Royal Air Force hae now completed the first stage of its expansion programme and achieved a (irst-class strength of 1000 aeroplane*. This is less than half the number Soviet Russia claims to possess and only about two-thirds of the United States air fleet. Italy, with 1300 first-line machines, and France, with about 1000, run Britain very close. Germany is still some way behind with 950.

What of the future? Military experts reckon air strength, not so much by the number of first-line aeroplanes, biit by the number of reserve machines and the speed with which new ones could be turned out. Within a few days of the outbreak of war, hundreds of aeroplanes on both sides would be brought down. Victory would go to the nation which could replace its losses most quickly. Naturally, every country maintains the strictest eecrecy about its reserves and the capacity of its aeroplane factories. But experts regard Britain's position as very favourable from this point of view. Germany and Italy are probably her nearest rivals in preparedness. Germany is especially well placed, because long before she openly rearmed she had perfected plane for putting civil aircraft factories on a. military footing at a few hours' notice. Russia's huge fleet of 3100 aeroplanes is regarded as more menacing on paper than in reality, because it is believed that the Soviet could not replace losses nearly so rapidly as other European countries". Britain's Fascists. Since the ban on political uniforms Sir Oswald Mosley's Fascists have been much leas in evidence. He is, however, planning a big drive as soon as the next general election approaches. According to this plan, 400 Fascist candidates arc to be put into the field. Hitherto the Blackshirts have contested very few constituencies. They never won, and probably they had very little hope of doing so; but they fought as a demonstration and for publicity purposes. Next time, apparently, Sir Oswald expects to get his party represented in Parliament. He speaks confidently of a majority. But fighting elections costs money, and politicians are asking where Sir Oswald will get it. At least £250,000 would be needed to finance 400 candidates. The Conservative party w said to spend nearly £1,000,000 on a general election. Of course, a large part of this conies from the candidates' own pockets. But Sir Oswald Mosley prides himself on the number of working men in his party, so that many of his candidates will have to have their expenses paid. Lady Houston's death will be a heavy blow for the Fascist's, for she was a strong believer in them and they had hoped she would help to finance " their election • ■- • s '; Mrs. Simpson's Life. English publishers have lost tene of thousands of pounds by their resolve to allow the circumstances of King Edward's abdication to pass quietly into history. Several of them were offered the English rights of a book about Mrs. Simpson's life. The book is a record best seller in America, and would certainly have made another fortune if published in this country. But British publishers made an agreement among themselves not to touch it. ■. The Government is the only "publisher" which hae made money out ol the abdication. The volume of Hansard reporting King Edward's last message to Parliament and Mr. Baldwin's momentous speech is selling like hot cakes at sixpence a copj\ It is now in a third big reprint. The text of the Abdication Bill is also a best seller at the Stationery Office. It costs only one penny. those 8.8.C. Fees. Dance-band leaders are not the only broadcasters complaining of the low fee's paid by the 8.8.C. The "talkers" have a similar grievance. The average wireless lecturer, whether he is telling a travel yarn or explaining the habits of the honey bee, gets £8 8/ for his talk. That sounds fairly reasonable for a 20minute lecture, until one remembers that it may have taken a week to prepare. The fee covers all rights in the talk. Jc may be- recorded on a gramophone record for broadcasting again, and it will probably be reprinted in the 8.8.C.'s journal, the "Listener." But though they complain, the lecturers still go on broadcasting. The reason is that the radio J* good publicity for them. "Old Crocks" Depart. Both experienced motorists and dealers in second-hand cars are delighted with the first result of the new law' forcing every car on the road to have a wmdscreen of safety glass. It means that tens of thousands of old erocks made before the era of safety glass will disappear. These were the kind of cars which one could pick up for £5 or £10 Quite apart from the question of safetv glass, these cars and their inexperienced drivers were generally a menace to other road users. What pleases the dealers is that cars at these "scrap" prices will no longer be obtainable, consequently there will be more money in the secondhand business. > "Boy Wanted."

"Boy Wanted" is a very common notice in London shop windows to-day. Errand boys are, in fact, very difficult to obtain. A few years ago any shopkeeper could get one for about 12/ a week. To-day he pays at least £1, and ofteir more, for a messenger—if he can get one. The reason for the shortage is that the many new light industries established round London are demanding juvenile labour, and paying fairly high rates for it. When there is a choice between running errands and learning a trade, the bov* choose the trade every time. * J