GREAT BRITAIN ANXIOUS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21335, 30 November 1934, Page 12

GREAT BRITAIN ANXIOUS

Germany's Efforts To Rearm CLOSE SECRECY MR STANLEY BALDWIN'S SPEECH The anxiety oi the British Government, in view of Germany's obvious efforts to increase licr armaments and to build up a military air force, was expressed in thx House of Commons by Mr Stanley Baldwin, Lord President of the Council. Germany, iaid Mr Baldwin, was increasing and extending her long-service army of 100,000 men into a short-service, prewar type army of 300,000 men. She was also creating a formidable air force, though because of the secrecy being observed in Germany, he was unable to say how far she had progressed. From figures the Government had from reliable sources. Germany's air force was between 600 and 1000 military aircraft. Great Britain's first line of strength at home and overseas was 880 military aircraft.

l\lr Baldwin said there was no actual emergency, but lie believed Britain mast look ahead as there was every ground for verv grave anxiety. War, however, was not imminent, and Germany was unlikely to equal Great Britain's air force for two years. It was widely considered at the end of the debate that Great Britain would have no alternative to undertaking a great air construction programme "in the interests of the community." (BaiTISFI 01-KICIAL WIgELESS ) (Received November 29, 5.5 pjn.) RUGBY, November 28. A debate on armaments, in which an important speech was made by Mr Stanley Baldwin, Lord President of the Council, took place in the House of Commons to-day. Mr Baldwin spoke to an amendment to the Address-in-Reply, moved by Mr Winston Churchill, which stated that in the present circumstances of world strengths Great Britain's defences, especially in the air, were inadequate. Mr Churchill said to urge preparation for defence was not to assert, the imminence of war. Germany wus rearming and, what concerned Great Britain most, Germany was rearming in the air. Great Britain ought at all costs to maintain in the next 10 years a substantially stronger air force than Germany. There was no reason to assume that Germany would attack Great Britain, but it was not pleasant to feel that her Government might soon have the power to do so. He contended that the Government measures for strengthening the Royal Air Force were inadequate, adding that Great Britain would be unable to intervene usefully in sustaining the peace of Europe if she herself were the most vulnerable of all. Government Aware Mr Baldwin, who stated that the subject had engaged the attention of the Government for some time past, said he had not yet given up hope of achieving some kind of limitation or restriction of armaments. He desired to say nothing winch would make more difficult the approaches which must follow from their discussions, but one of the foundations of suspicion and malaise in Europe to-day was not only fear, but ignorance outside Germany, and secrecy inside. He sketched the political developments in Europe during the last year or two, after the change of regime in Germany, and referred particularly to the withdrawal of Germany from the League of Nations and the Disarmament Conference, which occurred at a moment when there were fair hopes of accomplishing something more substantial than had been the case for many years. The team work at Geneva among European nations had thus been broken in relation to the nation whose presence was of the first importance. Mr Baldwin referred to the signs of nervousness which followed in different parts of Europe and which would not have occurred had not Germany left the League and had not her internal actions in regard to armaments been shrouded from that date in mystery. He expressed the hope that when this question was considered in Germany she would ask herself whether the price she was paying in this mental condition of Europe was worth the secrecy that was being maintained and the breaking of the link at Geneva.

Rumours of an Army Referring to particular points raised by Mr Churchill in regard to the extent of German rearmament, Mr Baldwin said the secrecy enshrouding what was going on in Germany made it difficult for him to give particulars. Rumours had been prevalent about the formation of an army. The British Government believed they were founded on fact and that Germany was increasing and extending her long-service army of 100,000 men into a shortservice, pre-war time type army of 300,000. That was the claim made for her at the time she left the Disarmament Conference. To what extent it had been completed he could not say for certain. "I think it is correct to say the Germans are engaged in creating an air force," continued Mr Baldwin, "but I think most of the accounts given in this country and in the press are very much exaggerated. I cannot give the actual number of service type aircraft, but I can give two estimates, between which the correct figures can probably be I found. "The figures we have range from 600 military aircraft, a figure given on excellent authority and from a source of indisputable authority, and the highest figure that we have been given, also from a very good source, is not more than 1000. "The probability is thai the figure I ranges between these two, "but

nearer which I cannot say. So far as we know no service units have yet been formed, although they have some bombers. But there is great haste being shown in the preparation of aerodromes and great secrecy in their construction and location." Great Britain's first line of strength at home and overseas was 880 aircraft. Continuing, Mr Baldwin said: "There is no ground at this moment for alarm and still less for panic. No immediate menace confronts Great Britain or anyone in Europe." There was no actual emergency. he added, but they must look ahead, for there was ground for very grave anxiety. The Government had been watching the situation for some months and would continue to watch it. At the end of his speech Mr Baldwin said that Britain would not be caught unprepared in the event of any emergency. The Government had announced its 1935-36 Air Force programme, which would increase The first line by'some 300 aircraft. Arrangements were being made for an . increase in the reserve of air officers. The Government was determined not to accept any position of inferiority to any force Germany might raise in the future.

TENSE ATMOSPHERE DEEI' INTEREST IN THE DEBATE LONDON, November 28. The atmosphere of the House of Commons has seldom been so tense as it was to-day. The chamber was packed from the moment Mr Churchill rose until the conclusion of Mr Lloyd George's speech, 3i hours later. The House was hushed as Mr Baldwin made his disclosures, and there was not a single interjection or Opposition attempt at argument during Mr Baldwin's slow and solemn statement.

His concluding remarks arc regarded as a grave warning to Germany, though not an ultimatum, that Great Britain will take even more drastic rearmament steps than are at present contemplated if Germany continues to violate her obligations. Nothing so impressed the House as Mr Baldwin's announcement regarding the enormous augmentation of Germany's air budget, her greatly increased righting aircraft, and her production capacity within six months, all of which, with her military forces, constitute a violation of the Versailles obligations. It was widely considered at the conclusion of the debate that although Mr Baldwin emphasised that war is not imminent, and Germany is unlikely to equal Great Britain's air force for two years, Great Britain had no alternative to undertaking a great air construction programme in the interests of the community. MR LLOYD GEORGE'S VIEWS PACIFIC PROBLEM A NAVAL (INK CReceived November 29, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. November 23. Mr Lloyd George, speaking after Mr Baldwin in the House of Commons, said that, with our own air strength the things that mattered were pilots, engines, and mechanics. We could have all these things if we developed the air services of the Empire. But while the air was the most important menace in Europe, in the Pacific it was a naval matter, Japan demanding equality with Great Britain and the United States. If the naval conference failed nothing would save us from the old competition in big-ship construction. Security rested more in disarmament than rearmament. Mr Baldwin had appealed to Germany: could not he extend it to other countries? It was difficult to put up the German case to-day, as the German Government in the last lti months had offended and exasperated every class—Jew and Gentile, Protestant and Catholic, Communist, Socialist, trade unionist, and constitutionalist.

"Yet we must make it clear to the German people," he added, "that we desire impartially to consider her grievances, we recognise that she waited vainly for 14 years for the powers to obey their 1.-eaty pron.ises to disarm, but found everyone except Great Britain piling up armaments." GERMANY MAY REJOIN LEAGUE EO.I/AUTY IN ARMAMENTS A CONDITION LONDON. November 28. I-lerr Joachim von Ribbentrop, disarmament adviser to Herr Hitler, who is at present on his way to Berlin from London, will soon visit M Pierre Laval, French Minister for Foreign Affairs, says the Paris correspondent of the "Daily Mail," with an unofficial proposal that Germany will rejoin the League of Nations if she is allowed equality in armaments. It is also expected that Germany will offer to negotiate directly with France regarding the Saar.