BECAME INEVITABLE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 157, 31 March 1937, Page 7

BECAME INEVITABLE

Britain’s Rearmament SHORT-LIVED SENSATION •'Dominion” Special Service.—By Air Mail. London. March 1. Great Britain is re-arming. The announcement has been made that the nation must be prepared to Dice a bill for £1,500,000,000 during tiie next live years. A few years ago such a proposal would have lieen unthinkable. No Government considered defence finance on such a gigantic scale, llie public would not have tolerated it if they did. Now the suggestion is met with philosophic calm. The idea of war is regarded by the British people with loathing, but brute facts have compelled them ■to realise that, in the present state of the world, adequate defence forces are a necessity if Great Britain would survive. For many years British Governments have tried to ensure peace through a policy of gradual disarmament, they set tin example of what they believed should be done. When the Armistice was signed in November, 1918, Great Britain had the largest Air Force and one of Hie largest Armies in the world, Her Navy was more powerful than any other. Her position in the world was secure and unassailable. With the return to peaceful conditions, and encouraged by the almost universal demand that: war should be abolished m the civilised world, she rapidly reduced her forces. Her Air Force was cut down from ISS squadrons to a mere '.’B. In 1929 Great Britain was reduced to the position of fifth among the world’s Air Bowers.

Year after year British statesmen pressed for disarmament, and were whole-heartedly supported by the British people. It seemed unthinkatde that the world should again suffer from the nightmare of an arms race which might end in a general war. But other nations continued to pile uparmaments and develop their military resources at an alarming rate. Manifestly the British policy in this connection hud failed. The world was re-arming, and soon Britain would be relatively defenceless among the big world Powers, who were all armed to the teeth. Moreover, the British Government found that it needed more power to give strength and support to its counsels in international affairs. Disarmament Policy Abandoned. A re-armament policy became inevitable. Reluctantly the disarmament policy was abandoned and Great Britain began to expand her Army and Navy, and particularly her Air Force. Now the nation is wholly united on this question, and no half-measures will suffice. When the Chancellor of tiie Exchequer, .Mr. Neville Chamberlain, announced in the House of Commons on February 11 that the Government intended to ask Parliament for powers to raise by loan up to £400,000,000 for defence purposes there was some sensation at tiie size of tiie sum mentioned, and the Opposition maintained that the whole amount should be raised bv taxation.

The sensation was short-lived. Having willed (he end. the public will not shrink from providing the means. A few days later the statement was made officially that “It would be imprudent to conntemplate a total expenditure on defence during the next live years of much less than £1,500,000,000.” Again there was a slight shock of astonishment, followed immediately by an attitude of ealm determination.

The expenditure on the Navy will provide three new battleships at a cost of £8,000,000 each, in addition to the two already provided for in 1936. Seven destroyers are already ordered, and another seven will be started this year. The Fleet air arm will lie powerfully expanded and two extra aircraft carriers built. The Regular Army will be increased and fully mechanised and re-equipped with the best modern weapons and material; and the Territorial Army will also be given the most modern equipment and full facilities for training. The Air Force wil be rapidly expanded. A large number of new aerodromes will be built, and more than 75 operational and training stations provided. And for all branches of the defence forces large reserves of munitions and material will be built up.