BRITAIN INFERIOR

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1933, Page 5

BRITAIN INFERIOR

INi AIR; DEFENCE

LARGE INCREASE ANTICIPATED. i Omted Press Association—By Electric ieteiiiapu—Copyright., i LONDON, November 29. In the House of .Lords, the Duke of Sutherland asked whether tne Government proposed to increase the country’s air strength owing to the I existing international situation. It was not desirable to rattle the sabre he said, but tlio question must be considered purely from a defensive aspect. He declared : “Destroy London, and you destroy England. If you destroy Berlin, Germany still lives. The great Continental countries do not. depend on their capital for their existence. England depends on London for its very life blood. Other j nations have not followed our dis-

armament example.” The Air Minister, Lord Londonderry, said emphatically that they coud not permit a continuance of Britain’s present inferiority. The Government’s determination Was to continue to purpsue the policy aimed at achieving effective disarmament ill the air. Their policy had been' sufI iicient indication that they regarded the problem as of vital moment. When the war closed, Britain was the first air power in the world. After the armistice, she dispersed the great- j er part of her vast air fleets, until ; the country was to-day fifth only of ; the world’s air powers in terms of first line strength. All countries had not made public statements of their current strength, but the official figures are available for France and 1 In Britain’s case, the figure was Britain.

approximately 850 aeroplanes. In the French air force, the corresponding figure was about 1650. According to available information, the Soviet Re- , $ t public figur.o, was between 1400 and 15C0,. the United States between 1000 and 1100, and Italy between 1000 and 1100. It was clear that Britain’s example had unhappily elicited no response whatever in any quarter of the world. This was a path which could no longer be followed, and they must, however reluctantly, abandon the policy of unilateral disarmament. The Government bad made it plain in their successive pronouncements at Geneva, that they recognised the need for a one-power standard in the air ! force of this country. The v had offered to go, to any length if the other j nations would do the same. They had indeed stated a willingness to consent to complete abolition of military and naval aviation, provided if only 1 thefe could he devised an effective scheme for international control of civil aviation, which would prevent all possibility of misuse of civil aircraft for military purposes. It now appeared that ‘ there wer enations which were not prepared to agree to such abolition and it was impossible to deny there were great practical difficulties in the way of such a farreaching measure, but Britain could not accept continuance of her present inferiority.

If parity could not be secured by reductions elsewhere then the converse of the. proposition must follow and there would be no option but to begin to build upwards, while continuing efforts to secure international agreement in fixing parity at the lowest level to which other nations would subscribe. They must hope it would be possible to fix the first lines of strength for the principal air powers, which would neither be a threat to the peace of the world nor impose an intolerable financial burden. Britain, and the Empire as a whole, must be made safe in the air, but a race in air armaments should be avoided at all costs. Lord Cecil said the real case, for disarmament was based on the fact that one or two air attacks in future would practically settle the whole course of a war. No other country was-so exposed to an air attack'as Britain. She would be crippled within -48 hours. The people, lie said, demanded that every thing should he done to abolish this dangerous air weapon.

Lord Sutherland said that with an adequate defence force they would he enabled to stave off attacks on London. He hoped the present activities would obviate the possibility off any country delivering a knockout. The debate was adjourned.

AIR. FORCE MAY BE DOUBLED,

LONND, November 30.

Some writers deduce from Lord Londonderry’s speech that Britain will increase her air fleet ultimately by 800 machines unless France reduces her fleet.

Lord Londonderry gave France a strength of 1650 aeroplanes ns compared with Britain’s 830. He indicated that Britain would build up to the strength of the highest air pqw-

The “Daily Telegraph” says: “There, is an end, at last, to a policy of one-sided aerial disarmament that reduced Britain to a state of helplessness that has never been known

previously.” Tr tlm House of Commons, Mr Stanley Baldwin said: “Britain cannot Hand alone in br* present position in rngr.vd to . defence, whether by air sea or land • and Hint oof 1 ’ 1 ' Jr > be made perfectly e’ear both in Britain and ebmad ” Mr Bad win stressed the difficulty of the, position. He said if it now were to ha announced that Bri-

tain intended quickly to increase her air .armaments, which increase would be denied to Germany, how could the latter country believe in our good jlait-h? The Government -valued flic House’s support in a pursuit of disarmament, and its attempts to save the Convention, .He hoped that the amendment would be supported.

NEW MODEL FIGHTING PLANES

LONDON, November 30

The “Daily Express” says: “The Air Ministry has ordered fourteen fighting aeroplanes. Each will carry a torpedo of three-quarters of a ton weight. They are being constructed at the Plumber. They will be stationed on the coast, and wii co-op-erate with the Navy. They will function iri attae’-s p„ battleship--, ‘" ir G-u n+ height, at sooeds of over two hundred miles m hour to launch the- .I' ,,t! . They will then rise a ;ain like rocket-; 1-evond t]io ra. r icli of anti-aircraft guns, when relieved of the weight,