SEA, LAND, AND AIR.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17981, 26 January 1924, Page 13

SEA, LAND, AND AIR.

CO-ORDINATING THE FORCES.

(Br CABLE—PEESS ASSOCIATION COPTBIOHT.) (austbalian and n.z. cable association.)

LONDON, January 24.

The advance report of the sub-com-mittee of the Imperial Defonee Committee dealing with the co-ordination of Army, Navy, and Air Eorce dismisses as impracticable the proposals for subordinating the Ministerial heads of the three services to a Minister of Defence, or of amalgamating tho three services.

On the other hand, the Committee expresses the opinion that the existing systeni of co-ordination by the Imperial Defence Committee is insufficient to secure full initiative and responsibility, and needs strengthening. The report says that the strengthening of responsibility can be effected by tho -Chairman of Committees, who, as the Prime Minister's deputy, is invested with responsibility for initiating a consistent line of policy and directing the common action of the three services or any two of them, with the assistance of the three Chiefs-of-StafO. Tho Sub-Committee recommends that the responsibilities of tho Navy and Air Force, with regard to the protection of communications of the narrow seas, should further be investigated. It says that tha principal need is closer coordination, and the principle that in all belligerent operations, in which more than one service is concerned, one of the three should bo selected as the predominant partner to k co*-ordinate, the others should be examined by tho three Chiefs-of-Staff.

It is agreed thp,t while the menace of attack from the air has greatly increased, necessitating a strong home defence Air Force, the country's liability in existing conditions, to sea' borne invasion has considerably dirniti' ished, compared, with pre-war standards.