EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17706, 7 March 1923, Page 11

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

NEED FOR CONCERTED ! POLICY. I COLONEL REPINGTON'S VIEW. ! u-ST\ B A l iTr» l ' B!:SS AS3o «,.Tiox-coFYaiGirr.) TiUU - N iNB -■• = • CABLE ASSOCIATION) LONDON, March 5. Lieutenant-Colonel C. A. Repington, n-nting in the "Daily Telegraoh," savs: —"A!tor studying the war and its "re•sults in Kurone and America, I find that other nations, in the matter of dcrenco, have folded the policy of safety first. We l lave not> We Kem to he the only .State in the world, not excepting the fnited .States, which has mlucnl its peace establishments to the danger point, even for the Empire's internal security. Finance ami politics have been our guide, not facts and foresight. "V.'c have not only jettisoned the i'.rnic-il forces which wen the war.' but have inexcusably neglected the lessons of the war, lessons which should have become the Empire's inalienable inheritunce, raid should have been applied for the frustration of designs imperilling peace./ 'Ve have had no announcement of the present state of inter-Im-perial relations in regard to defence, iifforc the war we knew the Dominions wero working with us. Now wo do not know where we stand, except that politically Great Britain cannot commit the D-ominions without consultation. The Navy has been cut to the bone. , Our air force is incapable of playing u serious part in home- defence'. Our Army would not boar comparison with the pre-war force, which proved most inadequate. The Government's first business, as adivised by the Committee of Imperial Defence, is to evolve a plan placing the Empire in a position of security to maintain treaties and preserve peace. This is an indispensable preface to economical administration."