NAVAL STRENGTH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 204, 29 July 1932, Page 7

NAVAL STRENGTH

REDUCTION IN BRITAIN. LADY HOUSTON’S OFFER. REFUSAL BY CHANCELLOR. (United Press Association —By Elcctrio Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received July 29, 10.20 a.m. LONDON, July 28. Lady Houston has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Neville Chamberlain: “Your regrettable refusal of the £200,000 which I offered in order to losscn the shameful cut in Britain’s defences decided me to send the smaller sum of £40,000, which is the amount of income tax which would be duo if I were domiciled in England instead of Jersey. I hope you will not be too proud to accept it.”

Lady Houston’s offer was made recently when the Navy estimates showed a big pruning under tho economy measures of the Government. It will be lecalled that, last year, when the Labour Government seemed apathetic to suppox-ting the Air Force in the Schneider Trophy race, Lady Houston offered to bear tho cost of tile preparations and the British flight. She is the widow of a millionaire shipowner, and a few years ago, when Mr Winston Churchill was Chancellor of the Exchequer, successfully. defended an action brought against her for income tax, but later remitted the amount to help tho Government.