BRITISH ARMY STRENGTH

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 March 1939, Page 7

BRITISH ARMY STRENGTH

MR. HORE BELISHA’S REVIEW SUCCESS OF RECRUITING [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIBELEBS] RUGBY, March 8. In the course of his speech when introducing the Army, estimates In the Commons, the Secretary of State for War (Mr. Hore Belisha) surveyed the military purposes for which British forces were maintained and the manner in which they were being discharged. He recalled that the foundation of British strategy had been to maintain land, forces which in conjunction with sea power, would be sufficient to safeguard British territories. He showed how development in the air had restored home defence to the first place which it had always occupied until 1905, when the then Prime Minister (Mr. Balfour), on the basis of. material accumulated by the newly-constituted Defence Committee, relegated the role of the Army in home defence to limited proportions. As a result of the decision, announced last year, to restore home defence to priority, the number of officers and men in the anti-airciaft units had been nearly doubled in the last 12 months. Five divisions had i eplaced the former two, and now two more would bo added. The corps headquarters set up during the year to control the anti-aircraft divisions would be made into a command. Some measure of the further expansion intended could be seen in the fact that in the new financial year the number of batteries would increase by between 50 and 100 per cent. The new batteries would be formed forthwith, anil would receive their training quota, of equipment. The production of the 3.7-inch gun from the new factory would begin in the autumn.

Turning from home defence to overseas garrisons, Mr. Hore-Belisha said he doubted whether in recent years there had been an adequate realisation of the extent to which the country’s sea power depended upon the Army’s defence of naval bases which them'selves were encompassed with a, new peril. The principle upon which they were proceeding, and which he announced a year ago, was in fact a reversion to the doctrine laid down in 1882 by the Caernarvon Commission, namely that stations fai distant from the United. Kingdom, and in close proximity to those of foreign Powers and liable to attack suddenly, must have th*ir garrisons kept at war strength.

OVERSEAS GARRISONS. These garrisons were, wherever possible, enlisted from local personnel.. In Malta, for example, the Royal Maltese Artillery was the oldest established regiment of the Regular Army. The population >was anxious to beai a fuller share of Imperial defence, as was demonstrated when, on the addition of 1100 to the existing establishment of Maltese gunners, 300 recruits presented themselves at once. Malta thus was making a greater contribution than ever to the defence of the Empire. Mr. Hore Belisha indicated that similar measures were in progress in Cyprus, Singapore, _ Hong Kong. Ceylon, and elsewhere in the Empire. Tllj Government, he said, no longei intended to rely upon a single strategic reserve, situated at the centre of the Empire. It had accordingly, in the current year, formed the nucleus of an additional strategic reserve in the Middle East, which included two divisions stationed in Palestine. Mr. Hore-Belisha came next to me contemplated reorganisation ol tne forces in India, which he announced on last year’s estimates, and referred to Lord Chatfield’s recent visit to India as head of a committee whose report was now before the Britisli Government. He hoped shortly to be able to inform the House of the agreed proposals, which would have a great effect upon the efficiencj’ and disposition of thd country’s military resources as a whole. Until then it was impossible to present a cofiiplete picture. of the strength, composition, and intended disposition of the British Army, but he emphasised that, neither the maintenance of these strategic reserves in India and the Middle East, nor the strengthening of overseas garrisons would result in a diminution of the size of the strategic reserve in the United Kingdom. From that strategic reserve was drawn a field force, both regular and territorial—for by the recent Government decision the territorial part was now being prepared, trained, and equipped for emergency in the event of war in the Euiopean theatre.

FIELD FORCE DIMENSIONS. J Mr. Hore Belisha stated the dimensions of the field force as four regular and nine territorial infantry divisions, two regular and one territorial armoured division, three, motorised territorial divisions and, in addition, two territorial cavalry brigades and a number of unbrigaded units, regular and territorial, making more than 19 divisions in all. This compared with seven divisions of Lord Haldane’s expeditionary force in. 1914. Describing how every fighting arm of the service had been remodelled. Mr. Hore Belisha said such was the degree of mechanisation that all ammunition. equipment, and half ,the total personnel of all infantry divisions of the field army could be carried at one time. Referring to recruiting, he said they would have taken 40,000 recruits into the Regular Army in the current financial vear, compared with an average annual’ intake of 29,400 before the South Africa War. and 34.200 before the Great War. With recruiting at slightlv better than the present level, the shortage of 10,000 on the present regular establishment would be wiped out and the proposed increases in the establishment would be met in the next financial year. They now had 77,000 recruits in .13 months, during which the demands of various artillery forces had increased by 500 per cent., and this was an all-time record for the Territorial Army.

ATTITUDE OF DOMINIONS. LONDON, March 9. , In the House of Commons Mr. W. S. Sanders (Labour) asked what arrangements had been made with the Dominions for assistance in the event of war. For the Government, Major R. rl. Rayner replied that the Dominions might be expected to concentrate first on their own needs, for all had danger zones. It was for them to decide whether to join an Imperial war. Dominion opinion, he said, did not favour sending a citizen army again to fight on a European battlefield. Major Rayner added: “We cannot again depend on the Dominions to form a general reserve for a European front. We ought to considei holding an Imperial Conference to decide how the • defensive policy of the Dominions can be fitted into a cooperative whole. We _ feel that the Dominions, having obtained sovereignty, should assume the responsibility for it “It is not fair to us or good business for themselves to claim freedom to decide whether to fight in a possible war, and simultaneously to rely on British arms for their defence.’

GERMAN COMMENT. BERLIN, March 9. The Government spokesman said he was surprised that Mr. Hore-Belisha even mentioned the landing of troops on the Continent, in view of Herr Hitler’s repeated statements that Germany has no territorial claims against France. . He added that even the combined strength of France and Britain was insufficient to smash German’s western defences, therefore Mr. Hore-Be-lisha’s words “left Germany cold.” ITALIAN OPINION. ROME, March 9. The- statement by Mr. Hore-Belisha on the Army estimates is considered to be directed against Italy and Germany. TRIBUTE TO BRITAIN (Recd. March 10; 1 p.m.) BELGRADE, March 9. All sections of the Chamber cheered the Foreign Minister (M. Markovitch’s) reference to the British efforts in the cause of appeasement, which he hoped would be crowned with success in the future, as in the past. The maintenance of peace was the first business of the Great Powers, he said, but feverish armament was an obstacle to serene optimism.

DUMMY TANKS. (Recd. March 10, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 9., Tn the Commons, Mr A. Edwards asked Mr Chamberlai nwhat proportion of the German Army tanks were made of plywood. Ho declared that a British motorist, driving along a lane in Germany, turned a corner and crashed into a tank, which fell to pieces, and proved to be made of plywood. The tank officer poked his head out of the wreckage, and advised the motorist to go away. Mr Chamberlain did not answer. GAS-MASKS FOR PARISIANS. (Reed. March 10. 8 a.m.) PARIS, March 9. Under a penally for non-compliance, 200,000 Parisians have been ordered to collect, gas-masks from the depots, for the first free distribution. It is hoped to equip the Amiainder of the population before the end of the Summer. Foreigners are not receiving masks, for ihe present. NEW GERMAN BATTLESHIP . . BERLIN, March 9. The sister-ship to the 35,000-ton battleship Bismarck will be launched at Wilhelmshaven on April. TURKEY ORDERS SUBMARINES LONDON. March 9. Turkey has ordered four submarines, from Vickers, Armstrong, Ltd.