ROYAL AIR FORCE

Evening Star, Issue 22956, 13 May 1938, Page 9

ROYAL AIR FORCE

40,000 TO BE ADDED TO PERSONNEL BUILDING PROGRAMME ON TIME POTENTIAL RESOURCES UNLIMITED (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, May 12. (Received May 13, at noon.) The House was crowded for the debate on the Air Ministry Vote. Lord Winterton, who was recently appointed deputy in_ the House of Commons to Lord Swinton (Air Minister), intervening in the debate at an early stage, met the Opposition’s attack on the air by the disclosure of what he described as “ a new programme,” which “ entirely overshadows the programme we undertook three years ago, which itself was absolutely, unprecedented in peace time.” As an indication of the scale of the new programme, the Minister mentioned that, in personnel, an expansion of no less than 40,000 officers and men would be required, bringing the personnel of the Royal Air Force to 110,000, NOT FAR IN ARREARS. Lord Winterton gave an assurance that the idea that the execution of the programme was greatly in arrears was absolutely mistaken. _ The scheme under which a first line air strength of 1,750 was to be reached by next April was all up to schedule. That strength, would certainly he reached by the date stipulated, and, he believed, considerably earlier. The position regarding reserves was also satisfactory. Moreover, the scale on which factories had been planned and orders placed would make it possible, if the necessary labour was available, rapidly to extend the output to meet the immense demands of the new programme. The Ministry had informed the Government that, given the necessary equipment, it was estimated that the output of aeroplanes and engines could be increased by wdll over 50 per cent, in the next 12 months, arid during the succeeding year could be increased to figures three times their present size. OUR FORCE NOT LAGGING. Lord Winterton declared emphatically that the Royal Air Force, as a whole, tvas not behind other air forces in the up-to-dateness and newness of its machines. The existing types were satisfactory, and the new types were even better. The production of engines was increasing rapidly, and in this connection the “ shadow scheme ” had fully justified itself. There was now a vast field of actual and potential production. Dealing with purchases from the United States, Lord Winterton said it must he remembered that production in the United States was small cojnpared with that of the Unitedl Kingdom. It was _ only certain types—mostly for training—that might be bought. CANADA POTENTIAL. More important in connection with the experts’ mission recently sent across the Atlantic was the possibility of building up a large war potential in Canada. He said there was no real hope of aircraft being turned out by mass production in the sense some people used' the phrase, nor did those methods exist for such work in any other country. He could say that the apprehension that the firms in the aircraft industry were not full up with orders was now unjustified. The industry was in a much better position to-day than three years ago to undertake the vast expansion required. The numbers employed had increased from 30,000 to 90,000. Lordl Winterton. referring to the programmes of foreign Powers, gave an assurance that the British programme had been framed in the light of the best estimate as to the large scale of forces which could he brought against Britain in war. It was designed as a formidable deterrent against aggression, and an effective defence in the event of attack. The defence of Britain must be guarded as a whole. They were carrying out rearmament on a vast scale. Extensions, refitments, robiuldings, and re-equipment in all three services involved a cost approaching astronomical proportions.

“A MOST UNEASY FEELING” ALL PARTIES SEEK REASSURANCES LONDON, May 12. (Received May 13, at 2.15 p.m.) The Australian Associated Press says that intense interest centred on the House of Lords and the House of Commons air debates, but the Government’s statement has left a most uneasy feeling. All parties, even many of thh Government supporters, have expressed the opinion that the position is worse than was anticipated. The Government had the unenviable task of trying to answer a welter of criticisms and simultaneously having to avoid disclosures valuable to a possible enemy. Nevertheless, members felt that the Government had not only not answered most criticisms but had completely failed to give reassurances. HOT HEAR PARITY GERMANY'S 8.000 PLANES 6.000 FIRST LINERS IK YEAR LONDON, May 12. ((Received May 13, at 1 p.m.) Sir Hugh Seely, moving a reduction of the salary of the Air Ministry by £IOO as a protest, said Germany at present bad 8,000 aeroplanes, of which 3,500 were frontline, and would, within a year, have 0,000 first-liners, wharea's Britain, two years hence, would have only 2,700. Germany was making between 500 and 600 aeroplanes monthly. Britain at the end of the war in 1918 was capable of turning out 30,000 a year, but such output was impossible to-day without a Ministry of Supplies apart from aeroplanes. _ Every _ Air Force station was demanding four times

the available supply of guns, and the system under which we were working was a complete failure. The conferences of the sitting in the Air Ministry were unwieldy. No one appeared able to take decisions. One firm was obliged to borrow £1,000,000 from the bank Giving to delays in fetting money from the Air Ministry, mailer firms were more greatly hampered for the same reason. Sir H. Seely declared that manufacturers had been threatened with the Official Secrets Act, and even the loss of their contracts if they disclosed State affairs. CRITICS SCEPTICAL NO PARTY WITH GERMANY When Lord Winterton said the Royal Air Force machines compared more than favourably with those of other countries, Mr Churchill interrupted; “ Absolutely untrue.” Mr Attlee said: We not only have not got parity with Germany, hut we are getting further from parity every week. Lord Winterton’s proposals will not bring us even by 1940 to the position of Germany to-day. The _ (Royal Air Force is largely equipped with obsolete or obsolescent machines. Messrs Moore, Brabazon, and Perkins stressed the advantage of manufacturing aircraft in the dominions, where the works would be safe, whereas the works in England could be destroyed by the enemy. Lord Winterton, replying, said he was impressed by the volume of opinion in favour of manufacture in the dominions. and would fully investigate the possibilities. Sir Hugh Seely’s motion was defeated by 229 votes to 131. LABOUR PARTY MOTION INDEPENDENT INQUIRY URGED LONDON, May 12. (Received May 13, at 2 p.m.) The Labour Party has decided to table the motion—“ The opinion of the House is that the growing public concern regarding the state of the air defences and the administration of the departments concerned calls for _ a complete and searching independent inquiry.”-