NO IMMEDIATE MENACE

Evening Star, Issue 21890, 29 November 1934, Page 10

NO IMMEDIATE MENACE

MR BALDWIN ON WAR POSSIBILITIES COMMENTS ON GERMAN SECRECY (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—^Copyright RUGBY, November 28. (Received November 29, at noon.) A debate on armaments, in which, an important speech was made.by Mr Baldwin, took place in the House of Commons. It arose on an amendment to the Address to the Throne, moved by Mr Winston Churchill, stating that in the present circumstances of the world the strength of Britain’s defences —especially in the air—was inadequate. Mr Churchill said that to urge preparation for defence was not to assert imminence of war. Germany was rearming, and what concerned Britain most was that Germany was rearming in the air. Britain ought at all costs to maintain in the next ten years a substantially stronger air force than Germany. There was.no reason to assume that Germany would attack Britain,! but it was not pleasant to feel that her Government might soon have the power to do so. The question of Germany arming must be cleared up. He contended that the Government measures for strengthening the Air Force were inadequate, and added that Britain would be unable to intervene usefully in sustaining the peace of Europe if she herself was thermost vulnerable of all. ■

Mr Baldwin, who stated that the subject had engaged the attention of the Government for some time past, said he had. not yet given up hope of some kind of armament limitation or restriction. He desired to say nothing which would make more difficult the approaches which must follow from their discussions, but one of the foundations of suspicion and malaise in Europe today was hot only fear, but ignorance outside Germany and secrecy inside.. He sketched the political developments of Europe of the past year, or two, following the change of regime in Germany, and particularly referred .to the withdrawal- of Germany from the League and the Disarmament Conference, which occurred at a moment when there were fair hopes of accomplishing something more substantial than had been the case for many years. The team wprk at Geneva among the European nations was thus broken in relation to a nation whose presence was of the first importance. Mr Baldwin referred to the signs of nervousness which followed in different, parts of Europe, and which would not have occurred had not Germany left the League, and had not her internal actions in regard to armaments been shrouded from that date in mystery. He expressed a hope, when this question, was considered in Germany, that the. people would ask themselves whether the price Germany was paying in this mental condition of Europe was worth the secrecy that was being maintained, and the breaking of the link at Geneva. Referring to particular points raised by Mr Churchill in regard l to the extent of German rearmament, Mr Baldwin said the secrecy enshrouding what was going on ini Germany made it difficult for him to give particulars. Rumours had been prevalent about the formation of an army. The British Government believed 1 that they were founded on fact, and that Germany was increasing arid extending her longservice. army of 100,000 men into a short-service pre-wartime army of 300,000. That was the claim made for her at the time she left the Disarmament Conference. To what extent it had been completed he could not say for certain.

u I think it is correct to say that the Germans are engaged in, creating an air force,” continued ,Mr Baldwin. “I think inost .of the accounts given in this country and in the Press have been very much exaggerated. I cannot give the actual ■ number of the service type of aircraft, but I can give two estimates, between which the correct figures can probably be found. The figures we have range from the figure, given on excellent authority and from a source of indisputable authority, of 600 military aircraft alto--gether, and the highest figure that we have been given—also from, a very good source—of not over 1,000. The probability is that the figure ranges between these two, but nearer which I cannot say. So far as we know no service units have yet been formed, although they have some bombers, but there is great haste being shown in the preparation of aerodromes and great secrecy in their construction and as to where they are. Britain’s first line of strength at home and overseas is 880 aircraft.”

Continuing, Mr Baldwin said: “ There is no ground at this moment for alarm, and still less for panic. No immediate menace confronts Britain or anyone in Europe.”

Mr Baldwin said there was no actual emergency, but they must look ahead l , for there was ground for .very grave anxiety. The Government had been watching the situation for some months and would continue to watch it.

A HUSKED HOUSE . , MEMBERS IMPRESSED TVESH SPEECHES. LONDON, November 38. (Received November 29, at 12.15 p.m.) The atmosphere of the House of Commons has seldom been so tense as it was to-day. The Chamber was packed from the moment Mr Churchill rose until the conclusion of Mr Lloyd George's speech three and a-half hours later. The House was hushed as Mr Baldwin made his disclosures. There was not a single interjection or Opposition attempt at controversy during Mr Baldwin’s slow, solemn statement. His concluding remarks are regarded as a grave warning to Germany,

though not an ultimatum, that Britai* will take even more drastic rearmament steps than at present contemplated if Germany continues to violate her ob* ligations. Nothing so impressed the House a 4 Mir Baldwin’s announcement regard* ing the enormous augmentation of Ger* many’s air ■ budget and ■ greatly-inn creased fighting aircraft production! capacity within' six months,, all of which, with her military „■ forces, con* stitute violation of the Versailles Treaty obligations. It was widely considered at the conclusion of the debate that, although Mr, Baldwin emphasised that war was not' imminent and Germany unlikely to equal Britain’s air force for two years,; Britain had no alternative but to uiw dertake a great air construction pro« gramme in the interests of the conw munity.