Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

BRITISH FORCES’ CUTS

“Army Will Not Be Slashed About” LORD MONTGOMERY’S ASSURANCE (N-Z- Press Association—Copyright) . | (Rec. 9.30 p,m.) LONDON, October. 4. The British Army would not be slashed* about, said Field-Marshal Viscount Montgomery. Chief of the Imperial General Staff, speaking at Coventry. “Don’t get upset when you hear the forces are to be reduced to nothing, and England left virtually defenceless,” he said. “It is absolute nonsense. I can assure you that no member of the Cabinet has any such intention.” “The* service chiefs have accepted in principle the cuts in the armed services which the Prime Minister (Mr Attlee) requested to save dollars,” says the political correspondent of Reuters. “The three services have thoroughly investigated possible economies ranging up to 20 per cent. of. their budgets, and have worked out the main lines of their savings.” Reuters says that Britain has approached Australia about the withdrawal of United Kingdom troops from Japan. The withdrawal will be sub-

ject to the concurrence of the other Commonwealth Governments concerned, and also America. The decision would affect only a few hundred administrative troops (the last British Army contingent remaining in Japan), a naval party, and a Royal Air Force contingent. “The British Cabinet has decided on a large cut in the armed forces, understood to represent a saving of .450,000 xWjn the present strengths,” says the ’Sunday Observer.” “Demobilisation will be speeded up in the next few months, and the cut will be completed on March 31, 1949, when 750 * orces will about “Th® proposed cuts may also make it possible to reduce by half the number of civilians employed in supplying the services. The Government, in making the decision, faced considerable opposition from the service chiefs.”

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.
Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19471006.2.78

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 7

Word Count
285

BRITISH FORCES’ CUTS Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 7

BRITISH FORCES’ CUTS Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 7