NEW BRITISH ARMY

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1928, Page 7

NEW BRITISH ARMY

MOTORS REPLACE HORSES CHEAPER AND BETTER (A.P.A. & Sun.) (By Cable —Press Assn.— Copyright.) LONDON, March 8. In the Commons, Sir L. Worthington Evans, in Committee of Supply, introduced the Army Estimates of £41,050,000, compared with £41,565,000 last year. . He said that the actual saving to the taxpayers was over a million, because the War Office was receiving half a million less than the last year from the Exchequer for the Rhine Army, while £200,000 in respect to the Middle East had fallen to the Army instead of the Colonial Office vote. The time had come to state the results of experiments in the mechanisation of the Army. The additional mobility and carrying power of the -mechanical vehicles, together with the striking force of tanks, were creating a revolution in the application of the prin-

ciples of warfare. Just as the motor car transformed business and social life of the nation, last year’s manoeuvres, with complete mechanised formations, exceeded expectations. It was too early to say anything positive about the outcome. Possibly, ultimately, few soldiers in actual warfare, would march great distances. The battle might be carried on air-wise or by motor vehicles. The whole organisation of the military divisions, with proportions of cavalry, artillery and infantry, might eventually be replaced by smaller groups of men, with various mechanical vehicles and tanks. Meanwhile, they had to maintain the forces known to be valuable. Experiments with mechanisations were continuing. The existing formations were being gradually based on increased mobility and fire-power, provided by the motor vehicles. Many critics accused him of weakness and wastefulness because he did not disband immediately all cavalry. Though the cavalry on the Western Front in wartime was overshadowed by more important happenings, experience in Palestine showed that in certain countries, cavalry were still effective and necessary. He did not. propose immediately to dispense with more mounted units, but two cavalry regiments would exchange their horses for armoured cars. Heavy and medium artillery was being mechanised. The rest of the field artillery was still horse-drawn. It was intended to convert the latter as soon as funds were available. The Estimates did not provide for the force in China. He added that the {mechanised squadron at present consisted of sixwheeler lorries, carrying eight machine, guns in peace time and sixteen in wartime. Six-wheelers would also carry the first line transport. He hoped in future to substitute light armoured vehicles for six-wheeler lorries. He added that the Air Minister would explain the situation in Irak. Mr. Lawson said that compared with other nations, the Army Estimates were small, but they had so much they needed in the years after the gr'eat war. Labour would support the vote, because it thought the Army ought to be efficient in its purpose. The gravest revelation was that only one-third of the men offering to recruit, were found physically fit. Mr. Wheatley said that if they could have demonstrated on the floor of the House a man being bayonetted, there would be less enthusiasm for armaments. Was it all through fear of Russia which was the only country leading us to real disarmament. Col. Duff Cooper, replying, said that Mr. Wheatley’s utterance was irrelevant and out of place. Russia’s disarmament proposal was only intended to make the League of Nations look ridiculous. Everyone wanted peace and disarmament, but no peace advocate believed complete disarmament was an ideal within reach. Meantime, the Government’s policy was to make the Army as small, efficient and cheap as possible.

AIR. FORCE ESTIMATES. (A.P.A. & Sun.) LONDON? March 8. The Air Estimates for 1928 reach the net total of £16,250,000, an increase on last year of £700,000. Siv S. Hoare, in a memorandum, explains that omitting special appropriations, there is a gross decrease oi £851,000, despite the provision of £200,000 for expansion of the Fleet Air-arm. The decrease has been effected in the year in which the Royal Aii- Force was a distinct fleet. The Air arm' has been enlarging by two new flights in flying boats and the formation of two new squadrons in India. The two new flights bring the air units allotted to fleet work to twenty-five flights. Considerable progress has been made in co-operation and uniformity with the Dominion’s Air Forces, discussed at the Imperia] Conference. Officers who joined the Royal Air Force on short service commissions after initial training in Australia have proved themselves valuable and efficient.

EX-SERVICEMEN’S PEACE MOVE. PARIS, March 8. The two chief German ex-service-men’s organisations, representing lour million ex-servicemen, agreed to co operate with the British Legion ami cx-servic.emeu’s organisations in Poland, France, Italy, Roumania, Jugoslavia, Belgium, Portugal and Czechoslovakia, in arranging a. world congress to discuss a means of ensuring world peace.