ROYAL AIR FORCE

Evening Star, Issue 21934, 22 January 1935, Page 12

ROYAL AIR FORCE

PITIFULLY INADEQUATE A scathing condemnation of post-war politicians, who, he said, had brought tho nation to the verge of war, embittered Germany, and loft the British Empire in grave peril, was made by Mr Robert Boothby, Conservative M.P. for East Aberdeenshire! at a British Legion Service of Remembrance at Corstorphine, Edinburgh, recently, ~states the ‘ Daily Mail.’ The danger of war. said Mr Boothby, was as great now as it was in 1914. After victory in 1919, the policy of reestablishing Europe bad been left to old men, who wore bitter and cynical, and whose policy was one of smash-and-grab. 1 They made the Polish frontiers, they

made Austria and Hungary, and their responsibility for our present sufferings was great. The new Germany had never been given a chance. No concessions had ever been made to her until it was too late. . i As a nation we were in some way resnonsible. Britain had given no lead, and no goodwill towards Germany had been shown. “ I do not think the Germans mean us any harm, but they are re-arming. “ And if we go on as we are to-day, in a year or eighteen months’ time they will be in a position to strike a vital blow at the very heart of' the British Empire. “ In relation to the present European situation our Air Force is pitifully inadequate. “ But if we simply drift along, never taking the lead, and’ exposing the heart of our Empire to an attack which might pulverise it in a few hours, then everything that makes life worth living will be swept away. Sir' Arthur Steel-Maitland, M.P., at a League of Nations’ Union meeting at Chatham, said that six months ago he would not have believed it possible that be could advocate an increase of armaments. But if the force_ of Britain was to be thrown effectively into the scales in favour of ponce the Air Force must be increased. “ This is a time of disillusionment,” he said. “We have now got generally to recognise that the League cannot put into force any general sanctions against misdoings by the nations.” Mr Anthony Eden. Lord Privy Seal. - at Stratford-on-Avon, said that an unarmed Britain in an armed world would place Britain in a highly dangerous position. Such weakness would constitute a temptation to the predatory instincts of others. All nations to-dav had not the same outlook as England had in regard to disarmament, and to ignore realities was to ; nvito disaster. He did not believe in the imminence of war in Europe, but no man could deny the dangers of the present time.