BRITISH ARMY

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1940, Page 8

BRITISH ARMY

DUTY TO EXPAND IT Test Still to Come [Aus. <Sz N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, March 13. Rt. Hon. D. Stanley, Secretary for War introduced in the House of Commons the Estimates for the Army. The estimates were of a token nature, owing to the obvious necessity’ to keep such a matter secret in wartime. Mr Stanley said that the army had not yet been subjected to the same intensive test as the Navy and the Air Force. Our security he said, depended on - the security of France. Our resources of manpower and industry demanded the production of the Army on a sufficient scale to ensure security, and to make us worthy of our position as a Great Power. British and French relations were vastly different from the last war. Then we were Allies, now we are friends. Mr Stanley said that a great army was in process of formation, and the British were, in duty bound, progressively to take a bigger part of the burden of the land war off the shoulders of their Allies. The number of British troops in France to-day was about double the number in October, and every day saw an increase in their strength. There was an even greater number of troops to provide for at home, consisting partly of the permanent defences of the country, and partly of divisions being trained and equipped for service over seas. Many thousands of men on the anti-aircraft defences were moved to war stations even before the declaration of war, where they had been since.

Mr Stanley paid, a tribute to the Home defences, and particularly to the constant vigil kept by the anti-air-craft units. From the beginning of the war to date, nearly 200,000 volunteers had enlisted. Dealing with the average age cf the men in the Army, he said that if further expansion made a considerable difference in the average, age, special measures would be taken to obtain an additional stiffening of older men. Britain had already received, and was continuing to receive valuable assistance from the Dominions. India and the colonies. Canadian troops had been in England for nearly three months, and were well advanced in their training. The fine tradition of the Indian Army was represented by the Indian troops in France and the Near East. The Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand special force would be worthy successors to the Anzacs in the last war. General Smuts had reorganised the Union defence forces for the defence of South African interests. Southern Rhodesia and the African colonies had also produced their contributions. But still the majority of the personnel had got to be provided from Britain. Registration and calling ue were proceeding smoothly, as and when more men were required, and more could be dealt with. The majority of the older men voluntarily recruited were mixed in the ranks with the younger army classes. At present, the average age of the infantry was 25, while that of other arms was over 26. This meant, of course, a very considerable body of men older than the average, and the stiffening' at present was therefore satisfactory. Speaking of the administration side he said he was not yet satisfied with

the reorganisation of certain branches of the War Office. Wholly satisfactory steps were being taken to ensure effective co-operation between the Ministries of War and Supply. There had been some cases of wanton wastage and carelessness in army camps, which were being disciplined.

Mr Stanley disclosed that a Central Advisory Council on Adult Education had been established, for the purpose of considering the best methods for organising some sort of educational facilities for the men in the forces in Britain.

Referring to the scheme for dependents’ allowances, the War Minister replied to certain criticisms which have been made against, it and, in particular, the criticism made against the provision in the present scheme which lays it down that allowances can only be: granted if a dependent is incapable of self-sup-port. There was, said Mr Stanley, theoretical justification for this provision, in so far as it was unnecessary, especially in wartime, for the Government to support those who were capable of supporting themselves; nevertheless in practice this was not the case, and he had decided to waive this condition in future, so far as dependents’ allowances were concerned.

Mr Stanley announced »a further relexation in the scheme, by permitting in future one-fifth of the earnings of each member of a household, other than of a dependent’s husband or father, to be disregarded from the household means test. Another relaxation which had been decided upon was that a dependent may, in future, receive an allowance from more than one member of the services.

Turning to the health of the British forces, the War Minister said that it had been on the whole extremely good. There had been, however, two epidemics of mild forms of influenza and German measles, which had now greatly diminished. Mr Stanley stated that the mortality rate from pneumonia was, however, lower in January during the epidemic of influenza, than it was in the five years between 1932-1936.

Speaking for the Opposition, Mr Lees Smith said that he recognised the importance of the War Minister’s announcements regarding alterations in the scheme for dependents’ allowances. The Opposition would go into the matter on Thursday, on the report stage of the Bill.