ARMS LIMITATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 November 1927, Page 8

ARMS LIMITATION.

WHAT BRITAIN HAS DONE

SOME! STRIKING FIGURES.

RUGBY, Nov. 15

Sir Samuel Hoare, Air Minister, speaking last night, referred to Field Marshal Sir William Robertson’s recent striking condemnation, cf war, and welcomed the fact that so many men of different schools of thought and upbringing were devoting their minds to means for preventing future war. He urged that in the Elmpi re the progress of the subject should be kept above party politics and declared the. determination ol' the Government to advance the case of armament limitation and to do everything possible to enlist the support of other nations.

Sir Samuel Hoare gave striking figures comparing Britain’s present forces with those before the war. In August, 1914, Great Britain had !4 battleships; in July, 1927, that number had been reduced to' 12. In August, 1914, she had 80 cruisers. She had non 37. In August, 1914, she had 183 destroyers. She had now 89.

The number of officers and men in the Navy just before the war was 1-15,600, whereas last year, the last date tor which figures were available, that number was reduced to 100,700. In 1911 there were 174,500 men in the Army, and last year that number had been reduced to 151,(XX).

Taking all throe services together —in 1914 the combined services of the British fighting forces was approximate Ijr 320,000, and last year, even including about 30,000 officers and men in the now forces, the number had been reduced to 231,000. A.t the end of the war Britain had the greatest force in the world, blit was reduced to a strength so insignificant that all three political parties considered that the country’s defences needed strengthening.

To-day Great Britain had 750 first line aeroplanes, but the strength of ti e greatest a.ir Power in Europe, ami he could make comparison without fear o ; being misunderstood, for happily Britain was on the best of terms with F-ance, was 1350 first lines machines.

Without desiring to judge other c untries. Sir Samuel Hoare cited fiances showing Britain to- have gone far beyond -any other European nari m in reducing armaments, while her policy hacl invariably been directed to n emoting peace.