BIGGER ARMY FOR BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 17

BIGGER ARMY FOR BRITAIN

♦ ESTIMATES GREATLY INCREASED MILITARY PREPARATIONS BROUGHT UP-TO-DATE (BBITISB DrrICUL WIRELISS.) RUGBY, March 3. The Army estimates for 1938 amount to £85,357,000, an increase of £22,237,000 over 1937. It is proposed to meet the Army expenditure on equipment and works services for the Regular Army to the extent of £21,143,000 by issues from the Consolidated Fund under the Defence Loans Act, and appropriations in aid to this amount are included in the Estimates. But for this provision, the net total of the Army estimates for 1938 would be £106,500,000, or £24,326,000 more than in 1937. The Secretary of Stpte for War (Mr L. Hore Belisha), in an accompanying memorandum, says: "This marked augmentation is a measure of the progress which is being made in the programme for bringing military preparations up to date on the lines indicated in the statements relating to defence which have been issued by the Government. "The total strength of the Army and supplementary reserves at the beginning of the financial year was approximately 130,000 and 25 000 of all ranks respectively. The strength of the Territorial Army, excluding the permanent staff, on January 1, 1938, was 9046 officers and 149,797 other ranks, an increase of 1176 officers and 16,514 other ranks in 12 months. The number of recruits in 1937 was 45,320, against 36,514 in the previous year. Regiments tq be Mechanised "The establishment of horses is now 5205, against 28,742 in 1914. Two regiments in the Cavalry of the Line will eventually remain as horse regiments and the remainder will be mechanised. By the end of 1938, of 15 such regiments on British establishments, 12 will be mechanised and three will retain horses. "Important reorganisation of antiaircraft and coast defence will take place. Searchlight units will become part of the Royal Artillery, which will be reconstituted in two branches, one comprising horse, field, and medium units, and the other anti-aircraft and coast defence artillery and searchlights. The building programme for the first antiaircraft division is now nearly complete, and good progress is being made in providing accommodation for the second anti-aircraft division in the Midlands and the north, which was inaugurated in 1937.