DEFENCES OF EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 117, 11 February 1936, Page 9

DEFENCES OF EMPIRE

White Paper to Pefine British Policy BIG LOAN EXPECTED Showing Determination to Pull Weight GERMANY’S SUBMARINES ,By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received February 10, 8.30 p.m.) Loudon, February 10. The “Daily Mail” says that a White Paper at present being drafted will define British policy regarding the League and the need for rapid expansion of the defence forces. When it has been approved by Cabinet it will be explained to Dominion representatives to enable the working out of co-operation in Empire defence. The political correspondent of "The Tinies” anticipates that the report wid be presented to Cabinet on February 12 and will involve expenditure exceeding £280,000,000 in the next three years, probably by loan, the whole of .which need not be used if world conditions change, but popular opinion clearly favours an unmistakeable demonstration that the British Empire means to pull its weight. The “Morning Post’s” naval correspondent affirms that Germany is secretly manufacturing stocks and parts for far larger submarines than hitherto, and will be able, when she chooses, to -put the craft into service in a far shorter time than similar craft could be 1 built by other nations. The plans greatly exceed the agreed parity with submarine tonnage of the British Empire. BRITAIN NERVOUS How German Newspaper Sees Rearmament Plan Berlin, February 9. The “Berliner Tageblatt” says: “The enormous rearmament wljich Britain is planning shows her nervousness. This may affect the nerves of other people, but it will not affect ours. We seem to be travelling toward an era of growing tension. Britain does not seem to desire to work for reconciliation.” , Dr. Zlelka, of the Reich Food Board, addressing an assembly of farmers, stressed the necessity for a self-con-tained independent food supply in Germany, and said that even a blind man must realise that the strongest army would be defenceless against hunger and a sanctions boycott. There was no need to go into the past for examples. They only needed to turn their gaze to the Italo-Abyssinian war. Italy’s economic, position should be, a warning to Germany. Blockade and hunger, not the enemy’s weapons, brought Germany to her knees in the World War.