OUR AIR FORCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 313, 1 December 1933, Page 7

OUR AIR FORCE

PROTECTING EMPIRE’S CENTRE. POSITION UNDER REVIEW. CONCERN EXPRESSED. (United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Nov. 29. “Destroy London and you destroy England, for you destroy the heart and brain of the counti'y. Destroy Paris and France still lives; destroy Berlin and Germany still lives. The great Continental countries do not depend on their capitals for existence. England depends on London for her very lifeblood,” said- the Duke of Sutherland in a speech in the House of Lords, in the course of which he asked whether the Government proposed to increase Britain’s air strength owing to the existing international situation. “It is not desirable to rattle the sabre, but the question must be considered purely from the defensive aspect,” lie said. “Other • nations have not followed our disarmament example.” The British Government’s determination to continue to pursue a policy aimed at achieving effective disarmament in the air was repeated by the Marquess of Londonderry, Air Minister, in the course of his reply to the Duke of Sutherland. The Marquess of Londonderry declared emphatically, however, that they could not permit a continuance of Britain’s present inferiority. A race between nations in armaments was a policy that must be avoided at all costs, and to this end all the efforts of the Government had been directed at Geneva.

It might be that the Disarmament Conference approached its task with an idealism which in the present circumstances of the world was unattainable.. That ■was no reason for censure, and it would be a disaster of the first magnitude if an agreement was not reached on a definite limitation of armaments at a level which satisfied the requirements of defence and denied to a potential aggressor the means of offence. Viscount Cecil said the real case for disarmament was based on the fact that one or two air attacks in the future would practically settle the whole course of a war. No other country was so exposed to air attacks as was Britain. She could be crippled within forty-eight hours. The people demanded that everything be done to abolish this dangerous air weapon. The Duke of Sutherland had said that an adequate defence force would stave off attackers on London. He hoped the present activities would obviate the possibility of any country delivering a knock-out blow. BRITAIN’S INTENTIONS. INCREASE IN AIR FLEET? LONDON, Nov. 30. Some writers deduce from Lord Londonderry’s speech that Britain will increase her air fleet ultimately by 800 machines unless France reduces her strength. Lord Londonderry gave France 1650 aeroplanes compared with Britain’s 850, and indicated that Britain would build to the highest power. The Daily Telegraph says there is an end at last to the policy of onesided aerial disarmament that has reduced Britain to a state of helplessness never contemplated. The Daily Express says the Air Ministry has ordered fourteen fighting aeroplanes. Each will carry a torpedo weighing three-quarters of a ton. They are being constructed at the Humber and will be stationed on the coast to co-operate with the Navy. Their function will be to attack battleships, diving from a great height at speeds of over 200 miles an hour, then launching the torpedoes. They will rise again like rockets beyond the reach of antiaircraft guns when relieved of the weight of the torpedo. DISCUSSION IN HOUSE. A DIFFICULT POSITION. LONDON, Nov. 29. In the House of Commons Rear-Ad-miral Murray F. Seuter moved that attention be drawn to “the inadequacy of the. present provision for the air defence of Britain and the Empire.” He declared that Britain had reduced her air strength, but the gesture had not been followed by the rest of the world.

Wing-Commander A. W. H. James moved an amendment affirming full support of the Government's air policy. Mr Stanley Baldwin said Britain could not stand alone in the present position in regard to defence, whether in the air, on sea, or on land, and that ought to be perfectly clear, both in Britain and abroad. Mr Baldwin stressed the difficulties of the position, and said that if it were now announced that Britain intended quickly to increase her air armaments, which ivas denied to Germany, how could the latter believe in our good faith? The Government valued the House’s support in the pursuit of disarmament and the attempts to save the convention. He hoped the amendment would be supported. Mr George Lansbury contended that Lord Londonderry’s statement should be made in the House of Commons. Mr Baldwin had not told the House what the Ministry’s policy was. Labour as a protest must therefore vote against the Government. Wing-Commander James’s amendment was carried by 151 votes to 31; then as a substantive motion by 139 votes to 30.