NEW DEFENCE PLANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 67, 16 September 1936, Page 8

NEW DEFENCE PLANS

AFRICA AND BRITAIN

MR. PIROW SATISFIED

"I am satisfied with the result of my visit," said Mr. Oswald Pirow, South African Minister of Defence, on his departure from England after his conferences with the British Government. "I am particularly grateful to the United Kingdom Ministers for the readiness they showed to appreciate South African views on defence matters." ' The "Cape Times" London correspondent stated that as the result of the fact that the matters discussed by Mr. Pirow and the Imperial Government were approached from the realist point of view, the participants were able to reach the conclusion that British and South African interests, throughout the world, closely approximate to something like ninety per cent. , Among.the matters discussed , ; ,waS| the Cape Town harbour development i scheme, and also the defences of Cape Town, and Mr. Pirow said that he hopes to make proposals to the Union Government about these matters which he considers "highly satisfactory." The official statement issued makes clear the main results of these important consultations in London, in which not only British, but other Dominion representatives, took part at various stages. The'success of the mission, m . Mr, PirowV* own opinion, is primarily due to the fact that those concerned in it approached the problems entirely from a realist and not from a sentimental standpoint, and as the result of dealing only with facts, both the British and South. African participants were able to reach the conclusion that British and Soiif& African interests closely approximate fo something like 90 per cent., not only on the African continent, but also throughout the world.

' MAIN RESULTS. The main results of the mission may be summed up as follows: — First, it was agreed that the Medittcrranean has now virtually become an inland lake. Great Britain will have to hold the two exits from that sea'and will' also have to consolidate her tiold over both Egypt and Palestine. Whether control over Malta ana Cyprus can equally be maintained n a more, doubtful proposition, though Britain's prestige in the Near East] (now very low) will probably be re-i stored in time. . At any rate, for Great Britain to place the major proportion of her battle fleet in the Mediterranean in time of crisis would be to run too great a risk. Accordingly, the Cape route becomes of supreme importance, and that is why it has been decided to embark upon a re-fortification programme. Secondly, the visit will result in a tremendous speeding-up of air communications within the continent of Africa, and between Africa and Great Britain. The fifteen years' contract with imperial Airways has been held up owing to trouble with Australia, but to judge from the statement made here by Dr. Earl Page, these difficulties are being overcome. . Within five, and possibly within three years, there will be an elaborate network of air communications within the African continent. In a short time : there will also be a daily service between. London and at least Nairobi, if, not further south. . '

Mr. Pirow has been in communication in that connection with Imperial Airways, the Beit Trust, and the Chartered Company. There will, of course, be developments along, the West Coast route, but the East will be the great highway of the air, and for that reason Mr. Pirow opposed to any handing back of Tanganyika to Germany. At the same time Mr. Pirow is convinced that Germany must have some outlet on the African continent, and it is believed that he sees no difficulty in meeting her wishes in that respect, GREATLY IMPRESSED. . M~r. Pirow is greatly impressed by air developments in Britain. He believes that already Great Britain has machines in the R6yal Air Force which will, in time, easily give her the air supremacy of the world, but these machines are, as yet, in very small numbers. He thinks that British civil aviation has a great deal of leeway to make up, but he was greatly impressed by the. Empire flying-boats which he inspected at Rochester, though he thinks the American Pacific clippers may outbid them.

Mr. Pirow realises that South Africa must not compete, industrially, too keenly with Great Britain, otherwise South Africa's exports of primary products, like oranges, might suffer, but he -sees considerable velds for expansion for the Union's secondary articles on the African continent, which need not compete with Great Britain, but can compete with countries like America and Japan.

He has hopes of seeing, some day, an inner ring of a Customs union within the outer ring of Imperial preference, in which the various States of British Africa miffht enter, with the possibility, too, that the Congo might also join.

From these trade considerations he was ablei-.to reach the conclusion, already, obvious from other avenues of approach, that South Africa's interests now go far beyond the Limpopo, and that tlie growing co-operation Of British Africa is now-something more-than a dream, and that despite the fact that two-thirds of the white population of South Africa is Dutch, community interests Ir^tween the Union and Great Aritaiu are- &&iiy becoming greater. ]