DEFENCE DEBATE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 13094, 16 February 1937, Page 2

DEFENCE DEBATE

TO OPEN.ON THURSDAY WHITE TAPER TO 13E ISSUED (U.P.A. by Elec Tel. Copyright). LONDON, Feb. 14. It is l now anticipated, that the debate on defence whicfi, will be raised in the House of Commons in the committee stage of the necessary financial resolution seeking authority to raise up to £100,000,000 will extend over two days this week. According to present plans: the debate will open on Thursday, instead of Wednesday, as originally intended. A request by tho Labour Party for a White Paper giving full details of the work in hand and in contemplation has bees acceded to, and the document is already under preparation-

GENUINE WAVE OF PROSPERITY IN BRITAIN NOT DUE r I 0 REAR MAM ENT WORK MINISTER’S REASSURANCE (British Official Wireless). RUGBY, Feb. 15. Speaking in London, the Minister for tho Co-ordination of Defence, Sir Thomas Inskip, said the present prosperity of Britain was not due to rearmal'ent work, but was a, natural, sound and genuine wave of prosperity and 'that tho weight of the rearmament programme had hardly begun to he felt by industry.

Referring to (house building, which continues to be particularly active, be said there was no bulwark more sure than that of a Hong line of men and women who -owned their own homes and land. Britain’s Magfnot line was the homes that the people owned and would defend if necessary. Till” Minister of Transport, Mr. L. Hore-Bc!ishu, -speaking at Edinburgh, said -'that while at. present defence was the paramount consideration of the Government expenditure, its effects in stimulating a revival must not he exaggerated. The stimulus for that revival came from other causes'. Defence expenditure, though placing a strain on certain trades, was fern all in relation to Britain’s normal factory output of about £22,000,000,000 annually. Every effort, lie said, had hern made to arrange for the fulfilment- of defence requirements without dislocating the normal development of industry. At the same time., all that necessity required would be done, and with accelerated, .speed to modernise and perfect defences by -so,a, land, and air.

Tiie request that would be made to Parliament to' borrow up: to £400,000,000- mi,glit well be a chastening reminder, wherever it might he appropriate, that Britain was. ready to employ in the area of her responsibility 'her man' power, her materials, and—what had ever been the most powerful and irresistible >ol’ her weapons—her financial resources.