ARMY ESTIMATES DEBATED

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 11

ARMY ESTIMATES DEBATED

British Labour Critics London, March 22. The House of Commons debated the Armv Estimates when Mr. H. B. LeesSmith (Labour) formally moved the reduction of the personnel by 100. tie criticised the tattoos, including that at Aidershot, as “time-wasting.”. He said the soldiers disliked them and . that moreover they did not assist recruiting. He also condemned the practice of obtaining officers from the small circle of the public schools, instead of from the secondary schools, where thousands of youngsters with the scientific and mechanical minds necessary for a modern army were turned out every year. Lieut.-Commander Fletcher (Labour) criticised the Bren machine-gun, and asked if it was true that Germany had rejected it, and also why the Indian Army and the Royal Air Force had both rejected it, the former preferring the Berthier gun. He asked whether the Bren was inferior in accuracy and range to those used in foreign countries. He added that the Bren gun, when tested at Bisley in 1936, was outclassed by the Lewis gun. Captain .1. R. J. MacNamara (Conservative) urged the foundation of an Empire gendarmerie trained on semimilitary lines, which, in combination with the Navy, would do police work, including that in India. This would enable the Army to be divided into three mobile striking forces, the first station in Britain, the second in Egypt, and the third in India. Mr. Hore-Belisha, Minister of War, denied that officers were drawn from two thousand families, On the contrary, the entries at Sandhurst and Woolwich numbered 5000 a year—which would indicate that such families would have to lie particularly prolific. (Laughter.) Referring to the Bren gun, the Minister said it had been selected after exhaustive tests of many other light machine-guns. The General Staff was satisfied with it. Replying to Captain MacNamara, he expressed the opinion that if his proposal were adopted the gendarmerie would have another force competing for recruitment in Britain. Referring to suggestions that there should be larger strategical reserves in the Middle East, be said that he was awaiting an arrangement with India. Mr. Lees-Smith withdrew his motion, and the Estimates were accepted.