DEFENCE UNITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21963, 6 March 1946, Page 6

DEFENCE UNITY

BRITISH SERVICES FUTURE POLICY DEPENDENT ON UNO CHARTER OBLIGATIONS LONDON, March 4. “There is only one defence problem—Economy and efficiency demand that the three fighting services should regard themselves as part of a single service,” said the Prime Minister, Mr. C. R. Attlee, opening the House of Commons debate on the Government’s White Paper on defence. “We are still in an uneasy transitional period. UNO has only just got under way, while provision for collective security in order to prevent war has not begun to be worked out. We intend to fulfil our obligations under the Charter, but the extent and composition of the forces required are not known yet and our defence policy must depend on what is worked out by UNO. New and Powerful Weapons “The advent of new and powerful weapons, particularly the atomic bomb, clearly must affect all decisions for future defence. Therefore the White Paper is something of a stop-gap. The Government will continue to call up for the forces as many as possible of the younger men in order to release the older men. In the 18 months from V.E-Day to the end of 1946 the reduction in strength would be 75 per cent. To speed demobilisation further would have been to wreck the efficiency of the services.

■ “Britain cannot reduce her forces in Germany under the very definite limit. No one must imagine that there was no possibility of a disturbance or even of movements of one kind or another by former enemies in Germany. We tried to do what was absolutely necessary, but not to keep unnecessary forces. Our aim is by the end of the year to reduce the strength of the forces to 1,100,090 men and women, made up of 175 000 in the Royal Navy, 650.000 in the Army and 275,000 in the R.A.F.” Mr Attlee expressed the hope that the forces could further be reduced, but. the Government could not afford to take risks. It could not decide the length of service of the new draftees, which depended on so many uncertain factors. New Rates of Pay Mr. Attlee said: “The Government in a day or two will issue new rates of pay and allowances for officers. Also under urgent consideration is a scheme to encourage re-enlistment among men who have been recently demobilised. The Government will announce its scheme for co-ordination between the services as soon as possible. Referring to the difficulties of demobilisation caused by the early surrender of Japan, Mr. Attlee said he doubted whether they had been sufficiently appreciated and enough credit given to those responsible for the fighting services for the way the heavy task had been accomplished. He hoped that as the year advanced more settled conditions might obtain in the world and that the system of collective system under UNO would become an actuality. It was impossible to look farther ahead than one year and he hoped for a steady reduction in armaments in the future. Supply Department Referring to supply questions, Mr. Attlee said: “We are keeping the Ministry of Supply in being as a permanent department for the equipment of the three services for all the things they have shared in common. This applies particularly to the Army and the Air Force—the Navy still controls some of its own supplies. We have imposed a severe limit on our production programme.

“I have to admit that the story of the ‘run-off is not so quick, but the story of the manufacturing of masses of unwanted obsoltte material is untrue.

“All the supplies of American equipment and spare parts ceased from V.J.Day. Unless, therefore, the forces are to become entirely ineffective an output of British production is necessary to replace some of the flow from America. It has been possible to save the production of many types of armaments. artillery and other weapons, but we cannot close down on the production of categories of weapons demanding special skill in their production; otherwise it would destroy entirely our production potential.” Higher Defence Organisation Mr. Attlee said the Government was considering limiting the structure of the forces. The transitional period would last some time and while we had commitments we had to carry on as now. It gave us a breathing space to assess future responsibilties and lay final plans, and in due course proposals would be submitted to the House. The question of a higher defence organisation also had not reached finality. He had participated in a number of debates on the subject during the years between the wars and had since had some experience in working the organisation. It was not a matter which could be rushed. It was vital that we should not lose the lessons learned in wartime, particularly those of liaison between the three services. There had been in no previous wars such a wonderful co-operation between the services. It was not a matter of three heads meeting but of the cooperation which had gone right down through the planning of the staffs. Referring to Anglo-Dominion cooperation. Mr. Attlee said they all knew of the great services of the Dominions during the war and wished to continue the closest collaboration, adding: “Although we, as members of UNO, are concerned with the broad policy for the prevention of war, we arc all members of one family. We want to see how closely we can help each other. These matters will be discussed when the Dominion Prime Ministers come here shortly.”