NAVY AND TRADE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 89, 14 March 1934, Page 7

NAVY AND TRADE.

GUARDIAN OF THE ROUTES. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 12. Speaking in the House of Commons during the discussion on the Naval Estimates, Mr L. C. M. S. Amery said that Britain was as dependent as ever on foodstuffs and raw materials carried over 80,000 miles of sea routes, of which only 10,000 could be directly attacked or defended by aircraft. “It is no consolation to preserve London from bombs if our arteries are severed,” he said. “No scheme of defence is worth considering if it does not provide power to reinforce different parts of the Empire if they are attacked. For ten years we have failed to live up to our naval responsibility. The time has come to stop gambling with our security.” Mr G. Lambert said that the focus of all trade routes was the English Channel. France, since the Armistice, had built 80 submarines, which could gravely menace trade in the Channel. It should be asked wliat this enormous force was required for. Lord Stanley, replying, said that hints were frequently given on the subject of France’s heavy submarine programme. Unfortunately France was not a party to the London Treaty. A motion to go into committee was carried by 254 votes to 35. The various votes were approved.

The Estimates provide for a total expenditure of £50,550,000, as compared with £53,570,000 in 1933-34. In a statement accompanying the Estimates Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell, First Lord of the Admiralty, pointed out that, of the increase, the turn of £1,436,860 was required to make normal progress with new construction. There was a rise of £247,000 in the expenditure on the fleet air arm, for which it was proposed to provide two new flights of aircraft, and a rise of £1,102,840 in the provision for the maintenance of the fleet. This was due chiefly to provision for large repairs and the modernisation of certain classes of ships in view of the prolongation of their lives by the London Naval Treaty. The new construction included four cruisers, of which two are of the new Minotaur type, one of the Arethusa type, and one of the Leander type, eight destroyers, one aircraft carrier, two patrol type submarines, and one mine-layer submarine. THE AIR ARM. PRIDE OF ADMIRALTY. Received March 14, 10.10 a.m. LONDON, March 13. Speaking on the Naval Estimates in the House yesterday, the First Lord of the Admiralty (Sir Bolton EyresMonsell) emphasised that the Fleet depended more and more on its naval air arm. The Admiralty regarded it as the spearhead of the fleet and was prouder of it than of any other arm of the service.