THE EMPIRE’S FUTURE

Evening Star, Issue 22276, 29 February 1936, Page 15

THE EMPIRE’S FUTURE

DEFENCE A VITAL ISSUE BRITISH PROPOSALS DISCUSSED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, February 27. The ' Sun-Herald ’ Agency understands that unless an unforeseen hitch occurs Mr Baldwin will appoint Lord Swinton deputy-chairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence. This is to be a whole-time Job involving a Cabinet vacancy. The new Air Minister will shortly be,announced. Lord Swinton’s task includes the closest liaison with the dominions through the High Commissioners, the Foreign Office, and defence liaison officers, but tho ‘ SunHerald ’ Agency learns that Britain’s defence plans, which will be published on March 3, will in no way involve co-ordinated action with the dominions, as implied in tho reported statement of the Hon. F. Jones, the new Min-, istor of Defence, that “ New Zealand will examine the defence question ip the light of Britain’s new proposals, which will shortly be received.”. However, if the dominions desire to cooperate they will be welcomed, because British Ministers are convinced that the Empire’s future is at stake, necessitating England and ‘ the dominions ultimately co-ordinating their entire defences. DISCUSSION IN LORDS , LONDON, February 27. While Mr Baldwin was making a statement in the House of Commons on co-ordination of the defence services an animated debate was opened in the House of Lords by the Marquess of Salisbury, apparently in ignorance of the proceeding in the Commons. There has been an agitation in some quarters in favour of the appointment of a Minister of Defence to supervise the Navy, the Army, and the Air Force. Mr' Baldwin’s plan meets the. problem in a different way. The Marquess of Salisbury condemned the present system as inadequate. Lord Strabolgi, having heard the gist of Mr Baldwin’s announcement, described it as several steps in the wrong direction. The Minister whom it was proposed to appoint would have no real power and would be a sort of shadow of the Prime Minister. Tho Labour Party’s attitude was that it wanted efficient defence forces without unnecessary expenditure or • overlapping. It believed that this could be achieved only by co-ordination. The great majority' of the' Labour Party was prepared to support Britain in a war for her own defence and support the principle of collective security. ‘ Lord Swinton said that a Ministry of Defence would be impossible in peace time, because n'o single Minister could undertake the vast work which each Minister would have to discharge ;m the coming months and years. It would , be equally impossible in war time, when responsibility must rest with the Prime Minister and the War. Cabinet. It was essential that the Committee of Imperial Defence should centre on the Prime Minister, who should never lose contact with it. Plans must be ready to ensure that industrial firms were able to turn rapidly to war production, The Marquess of Salisbury, winding up the debate, said he was satisfied with the position as long as tho Prime Minister had .an operative Minister working beside him. A PROMISING PLAN LONDON, February 27. .- ‘ The Times ’ says: “ Lord Swinton, who has been named among others for the new post of deputy-chairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence, made ah excellent impression in the House of Lords by his grasp of the question at issue. The new plan, in right hands, should ensure better considered, and therefore more economical, defence expenditure.” NAVAL AGREEMENT ITALIAN OBJECTIONS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 28. (Received February 29, at 1 p.m.) The Government’s plans for better co-ordination in Imperial defence measures, which were outlined in Parliament yesterday, have met with general approval in the Press. In the House of Lords, although no reference was made to the House of Commons statement, approval of the, plan was indicated in a debate in which Lord Salisbury and the former Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Air Force (Lord Milne and Lord Trenchard) took part. Lord Swinton, whose name has been mentioned for the new post of deputychairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence, also spoke, and welcomed the general recognition of the need for co-ordination. He added that the Prime • Minister must always he in touch with the committee, and it was to be hoped that he would preside when important questions of policy were deliberated.

The difficulties of procedure which had been raised by the Italian delegation to the Naval Conference, and as the result of which, as well as of certain technical difficulties, they were not for the present ready to sign the naval agreement, are understood by the newspapers to refer mainly to the Italian objection to actual signature while the present political situation in Europe persists. The objections do not apply to the continuance of the process of drafting a new agreement.