BRITAIN’S AIR FORCE

Evening Star, Issue 21786, 31 July 1934, Page 12

BRITAIN’S AIR FORCE

PROPOSED STRENGTHENING CAPTAIN EDEN’S JUSTIFICATION (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, July 30. (Received July 31, at noon.) Referring to the air proposals in a week-end speech, Captain Anthony Men said they in no way conflicted with the efforts which the British Government had made, and were making, at Geneva. It was clearly understood that they would be capable of adjustment if an international agreement could be reached. There was no inconsistency in asking for proper care for the defence of the British Isles. He claimed that Britain was an essentially stabilising, and not an unstahilising, influence in European affairs.

IN THE COMMONS

GOVERNMENT’S GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY. (British Official Wireless.) ■ - RUGBY, July 30. (Received July 31, at, noon.) The House of Commons to-night debated the Government’s provisional programme for increasing during the next five. years the Royal Air Force by forty-one squadrons. Mr Baldwin said the questions of Imperial defence and of disarmament had occupied the minds of the Governments for many years past, but never had a survey of these problems been conducted in conditions of greater, difficulty and more constant change than in the last twelve months. The difficulty of working for a disarmament convention had, been increased by the fact that , there was little probability in getting Germany to join once more in the discussions. Events in various parts of Europe had created a greater sense of uneasiness than hitherto had been experienced. The future was uncertain. He could seo no risk in the immediate future of peace being broken. , The greatest' crime to their own people was to be afraid to tell them the truth. The old frontiers had gone, and when they thought of the defence of England they no longer thought of the chalk cliffs of Dover, but they though of the Rhine. Mr Baldwin said he was confident of approval for the measures, which he considered absolutely necessary. LABOUR AND LIBERAL VIEWS . LONDON, July 30. (Received July 31, at 1.5 p.m.) Major Attlee said that those who thought like the Government paid lip service to the League of Nations, but at the back of their mind was always the belief in the old anarchic principles of self-defence. The Labour Party denied the need for increased air armaments. , • Sir Herbert Samuel said there was general agreement that ' disarmament could not be one-sided. Personally he thought it a strange argument to say that they were to get disarmament by increasing armaments. Was it seriously contended that Britain must build squadron for ' squadron against France, with whom she was oh terms of great friendship P