FORCES CHIEFS OPPOSING DEFENCE CUTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23082, 21 October 1949, Page 5

FORCES CHIEFS OPPOSING DEFENCE CUTS

. (11 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20- ■ The full British Cabinet today discussed the proposals for defence cuts and conscription changes, some of ~ which, it is believed, are being *trongly opposed by the service chiefs. Reuter says it is probable that the eervice chiefs will yield only under _ strong Cabinet pressure to any substantial trimming. There is a strong «' party demand that the cuts should be shared by the services and growing ; pressure for some revision of the conscription policy. *- Reuter’s political correspondent says the possibility that the Cabinet may ' modify conscription as part of Britain's post-devaluation economic programme t was a leading topic in political quarters following a meeting between the ’ Cabinet defence committee and the Ministers concerned with the economy cuts. The Government is known to be tinder considerable pressure from its supporters to apply the economy axe to the services equally with all other - Government departments and in the past few weeks some sections of the : press have advocated the abandonment of conscription. The Daily Herald, the Labour Party’s organ, said today there was no question at present of national service being abandoned. It was felt, however, that the forces—representing one of the largest items in the Budget—could economise without loss of efficiency ,the paper added. :: t. ..t r