GERMANY'S NEW STRENGTH

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21904, 3 October 1936, Page 15

GERMANY'S NEW STRENGTH

“COLOSSAL COST OP! REARMAMENT” ; ■ ! - /-■■■ ■ : '■j’> : ■■■■„) huge aerodromes and MILES OF BARRACKS SIR KEITH MURDOCH ISSUES WARNING £XBK FUSS Sp«eUl AUCKLAND. October 2Startling reports of the strength of rearmed Germany and decided View* on the course open to Britain as sult were given .by Sir Keith . Murdoch, the Australian newspaper proprietor. who arrived from by the Mariposa. Sir Keith Murdoch. accompanied by hfc wife + and feeg three children, is returning to Australia after representing that country a Empire Press Conference, and visiting Spain, France, Germany, • and Not since the war had the world been in such turmoa Sir Keith Murdoch said, and it was very important that Australia and New Zealand should have a wide understanding « the position. Already their situation had been profoundly altered by the changes that had occurred. They must be regarded as irrevocably bound together, and they might be called 9 n than was expected to make more thorough contributions to their own defence. From what he secn it appeared that man was -uihUb to make the changes through which the world was passing without waiv c?wl or-otherwise. The division had become wider in most The swing to. one extreme caused a swing to the jnd Jig the middle course was abandoned m the internal programme of a jato Sere must be civil war. This had Sen shown in Italy. Spain; and U the temperate could not- succeed in France there would be a similar dash there. Europe** Dictators power and their ruthless mtentioos. but anyone who enqmres m deeper than the splendidly-OTgarusea frontto the foreigners mud-realise feat fee country hasacapacxtyto do an infinite amount of harxn. Her rearmament is a tremendous; fcaL and will proceed at an unabated pace »r two or three years more. expenditure is colossal, totalling billions of pounds. Her aerodromes arejtf prodigious size, and are ing to warUke strategy. facing Czechoslovakia, I saw irt«ahy of new barracks dose to huge , aerodromes, and there, as dsewhem in Germany, most of fee splepdidlooking new conscripts owttwm|te streets wore the wings of fee pfeforce. , “This - concentration’ on aggressive air weapons is of. singular significMCg and all it implies must be carefully studied by New Zealand and-. Australia,. , The exact place of the_aeroplane in warfare is not yet understood j but there is one thing certein—me German dogma of ruthless mightentaus bombing of cities without wapfe l # and without mercy. The **rabing_a«replane. of which Germany is building thousands, moves at 250 miles an hour, is a fortress in 'itself, and can carry 7000 bombs, each capable of spreading . liquid fire, which water only spreads further. DenwoliiatioDs of ffitlates “I saw immense demonstrations _of Hitlerism in Germany, and I am quite convinced-that fee great majority of the people will follow him blindly,’" Sir Keith Murdoch said. “Britain Js : profoundly puzzled by fee phenomenon of the uprising of Germapy. Anumber of people agree wife .'fee French view that there is no solution other than the maintenance of a very preponderant military force against Germany. I think this coarse would _be disastrous. Its effect would bebrief, and as the force inevitably weakened and divided worse trouble would come. The British people should at least make an offer of whatever sacrifices would be generous to meet fee German case. I found, a Jfery'general belief in this courser The objection appears to be that the Germans may regard such a course as weakness and press for greater demands. We must certainly be. strong ourselves. It will take us two years to really strong again, but with such strength coming to us any offer of economic as- * sistance or diplomatic . help - could, surely not be regarded as flowing from weakness.” Speaking of the Spanish situation. Sir Keith said the victory of the rebel army, which appeared certain, would be the victory of an efficient minority over the vast majority. The outcome Would be a military dictatorship. If it sought to crush fee progressive movement it could bring disaster to Spain. There had undoubtedly been strong backing from outside fee country. , <

ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENCE

EQUIPMENT PARADED AT WELLINGTON “MOTORISED” GUNS AND SEARCHLIGHTS (PBXSB BSSOCUSSOS nUHUUKJ - WELLINGTON. October 2. A parade of anti-aircraft mt<l other defence equipment washeMin Wellington this aftemoofi affit at- ! tracted considerable, attention*,Two three-inch anti-aircraft guns mounted on four-wheel trailers,. weighing eight tons in all anddrawn by six-wheel lorries, prominent place in the proccsshm- * They were followed by two, sixwheel searchlight lorries, each equipped with lights and generators-. r Two exhibits interest - in the propessu^j^ww©-a machine-gunner - ' nxHo^q^ special: y Defence . Department Do you know—? Tonkas ’phone yourfSWant Ad," to (33-358> and pay when next-la -Ipwi. '