INCREASES IN STRENGTH

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 6 March 1935, Page 7

INCREASES IN STRENGTH

Labour and Liberal Journals Consider Action Provocative CONTRAST IN OPINIONS CONFIDENCE IN PEACE (British Official Wireless) Received 2 p.m. to-day. RUGBY, March 5. The' necessity for the increases in the defence estimates was reluctantly admitted by most papers this morning, although Liberal and Labour journals are critical and consider the increased expenditure on defence to be premature and provocative.

The Times points out that British armaments by sea and land will not be on a larger scale. Britain had undoubtedly fallen too far behind in the air arm as also in anti-aircraft defences. It was unworthy of Britain’s position in the world that she should remain fifth or sixth in the scale of air powers, and it rendered her less fit to perform her treaty obligations •which she had already assumed. There must be a political foundation for the limitation of armaments, and in spite of all the efforts of the last three years this had not yet been laid. The negotiations which Sir John Simon and Mr Anthony Eden will carry a stage further at the end of the week afford the best prospect that has yet appeared’of establishment of a system of security. The British Government particularly emphasised the fact that the measures now proposed were elastic and might be modified downward if circumstances permitted. The British policy of peace would not be affected by the decision to spend more on defence, and despite the troubled stale of the world the British Government still proclaimed its confidence in the ultimate triumph of peaceful methods. The Daily Telegraph says the statement on Imperial defence underlines an important fact that the value of the Locarno -treaties has been seri ously weakened by the knowledge that Britain’s contribution could have little decisive effect. Eor the same reason Britain’s counsels in Europe were becoming progressively less effective. An important increase in British influence, noticeable at Geneva and in all leading capitals during recent months, could be traced to a knowledge that Britain was looking to her fighting forces.