ROYAL NAVY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21424, 16 March 1935, Page 13

ROYAL NAVY

gstiirißtes Passed pEß ate IN house 0 F COMMONS ' rHO TECTIN<' SEA-BORNE SUPPLIES I ) March 15. 3.0 p.m.) I LONDON. March 15. 1 r a long debate the naval I L -,vere passed by the House 1 --non?, by 153 votes to 48. \l , n introducing the estimated. (First I f the Admiralty) maintained \° riE ,'pcrcHsc of £3,500.000 in \-vai vote did not mean any in- "! jn the sire 'he (leei. additional expenditure ol •MitOO was essential to make '"•'ccrinus deficiencies in equip£nd to carry out the modern- " n of certain old ships. The re- £ 1,500,000 increase came a n automatic rise in expendi"djrwg 1935 on thc new cun " '~ on involved by programmes in previous years and luting part of the normal recent policy allowed by the I.- of the London Naval Treaty w -hich \vas still in force.

Reduced Strength -■? number of ships in (he Briyjr. had been ;iiready drasticreduced, and m view its -;al 1C (-» ov " "i could not agree to further reduction. At the same Government was anxious ":-h in an international agreej,Vor a reduction oi' sizes withto see the tonnage oi battleU fixed at 25,000, with 12-ineh and cruisers restricted to 7000 with six-inch guns, fading the total abolition of suDwhich it favoured, the Gu>'-j-pnt' would like to maintain tne li'ative limitations of the Loni Treaty, and drastically reduce -- iaxunum permissible submah tonnage. . '-we proposals for qualitative Sition would be of enormous istage to the world because they faipreserve the relative strength I;e different countries at greatly fcsd cost.

i The Washington Treaty r <->. bad not pretended that Great ia was not disappointed at ski's intention to terminate the fehington treaty, which, for the -ip time in history, had prevented ; .snous armament race, and made i' prospect of a successful offensive 1' any power extremely remote. he hoped that the main ention of the ratios, which were the preservation of peace, would perpetuated in some uther way. idea 1 naval conference would so -tain the equilibrium between -avalpowers that none would be ; position easily to become the

Sea and Air Complementary :: deeply deplored the ill-in-adpress propaganda which sugK that the Navy and the Air rsere competitive, that aircraft ■Vie only means of defending U".i and that any navy could •'ire be halved. In the latter i Great Britain could not defend sa-bome commerce, including tankers on which the aircraft sled for fuel. Without a navy t Force would be immobilised. K Great Britain could protect ss communications the blood—of the Empire could be sev- : a many places. '-".eend of 1936. compared with "j.tinn in 1924, her capital Huld be reduced from 60 to '-■crs from 10<" t <;» 50, destroy- •■* 322 t.o 118. submarines from 43. '■' rusted that in the light of ■ C :tirc." compared with the ex"'sre of other nations, few -j believe the Labour party's ?! to label the present govern-war-nionjjoring.

ant! Japanese Position H.Hall (Lab.. Aberdare) ;'"=t thouyh Sir Bolton Eyres had referred to the pacifist he had apparently forthe resolution of the Conser- ,: party at iu; conference in ■ anxiety at the ln•yj' of defence. Since then <'«nce estimates had advanced ;2«.000. Had not the con- ; t f °f the Singapore base _ with Japan's de.°f the Washington agree- . folton Eyres Monsell: None f-.1all; Xhe White Paper refer■>"°i " could not refer .-'armaments, as Germany u lo t ' le strength jt-T" nncler the Versailles K . as Great Britain content L*nty with the United States, {■J* demand superiority? The torpedoed the disar•7. and shattered /-"Nations with America and Sinclair said that e Government speeches that the in•.^r nt -' e estimates were only Viire° e of " 1e %vc dge. France n' n, i &d States were proVm " c nations, vet their * rrna ments were held as -rtat'°n ° f . Great Britain's. ' p Pr f were strength5Qr eilc ' l demanded more. W- r , nnif -»t failed to realise horror, not only of the « f war hut also of the S'Mch , ' armamen* expendianrf - ® rn P ere d economic reW j. yarded social advance. *''' er nme°nt le nor dbroad had r esolifr created an impresJ j- on and consistency c m !armarnent,a i.?-. Amery suggested -of a ii should be in // nav,i nce services. The 'l^reaseH Ct u Vity had been •Cerent . tlie air arm - p aln have been the s"PaiEnq v . anci Mc '- s opotaK '• ? ere liad been Nsrioj , ln the Mediterrana dominant navy.