BRITISH ARMS POLICY

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21296, 16 October 1934, Page 11

BRITISH ARMS POLICY

CHANCELLOR DEFENDS

INCREASE

XEED FOR AIR DEFENCE

(BEITISH OfFICIAt WIJtELtSS.)

(Received October 15, 5.5 p.m.)

RUGBY, October 13

Mr Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaking at Birmingham, said that during the last few months events on the Continent had made many people very uneasy about affairs in foreign countries.

That feeling found expression a'. ;Ihe recent Conservative Party Conjference at Bristol, when it assured the, Government of its full support in any expenditure necessary to ensure the safety of the country. ', N ° °P e in the world believed that the British Government or country would willingly do anything that would lead to war. Their whole interest lay in the opposite direction. AH the efforts of the Government had been directed toward trying to remove the causes of war, but would it not incur terrible responsibility if some day, through neglect, the country found itself unable to protect ,tself against a hostile attack .'

The Government had given long and anxious consideration to the problem and had' reached the conclusion that in a world where no one had disarmed but where others were continually increasing armaments a programme must now be embarked upon which would mean a very considerable increase in the number of air squadrons available ior Home defence, and would involve making good some deficiencies which had been allowed to accumulate in the other services. He added that the Government would not. however, relax ils efforts 1o prevent a general building up ot the level in armaments.