CO-ORDINATING DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 30, 4 August 1923, Page 7

CO-ORDINATING DEFENCE

COMMITTEE'S PROPOSALS IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS. CDIHIBD PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPIRtGBT.) . ■ (AUSTRALIAN . ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.; (Received 4th August, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 3rd August. ' A White Paper regarding the co-ordin-ation of defence forces, states thatthe Government has decided.(? to.adopt) the_ recommendation of the National Imperial Defence Committee.

The Committee advises that it is undesirable and impracticable to supersede the Ministerial heads of three fighting services by making them subordinate to a Minister of Defence. The amalgamation of the three Service Departments' is equally impracticable, and the existing system of co-ordination by the Committee of Imperial Defence is insufficient to secure full initiative and responsibility for defence as a whole, and requires to be denned and strengthened Therefore, while the existing ' system of departmental initiative will coXu? the responsibly for wider initiative will also rest with the Chairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence, acting under the general direction of the CornChiefs 6 SWoS!*"* °f toeß The Committee considers that the Imperial Committee should consist of a chairman, deputy to the' Prime Minister* the First Lord of the Admiralty; the Secretaries for War, Air, Foreign Af! fairs, the Colonies, and Indw- the of X^?^ ** Exc*"^> thTchiefc of the Staffs of the three fighting Services; and the Permanent Secretfry oE «! ; and ' ™ a<3dit«>n to tfiese other British or Dominion Ministers, officials, or specially-qualified persons will of\irbXt. accordins to the-*•-

The Chairman's functions will include assisted by the three Chiefs of sS I^Ldt^f-^ »ted and framed to meet the policT so may^ always be available to the Cb£