MORE MILLIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 81, 4 March 1938, Page 7

MORE MILLIONS

BRITAIN’S ARMY ESTIMATES. INCREASE IN STRENGTH. AIECHANISAI REPLACES HORSES. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official AVireless.) Received Alarch 4, 9.50 am. RUGBY, Alarch 3. The Army Estimates for 1938 amount to £85,357,000, an increase of £22,237,000 over 1937. It is proposed to meet the army expenditure on equipment and works services ior the Regular Army to the extent of £21,143,000 by issues from the Consolidated Fund under the Defence Loans Act, and appropriations m aid ot this amount are included in the Itstimates. . . , , , i But for this provision the net total Army Estimates lor 1938 would be £106,500,000, or £24,326,000 more than in 1937. . Tbe Minister (Air Horc-Belislia), in an accompanying memorandum, says. “This marked augmentation is the measure of progress wlncii is being made in tbe programme or bringing the military preparations up-to-date on the lines indicated in the statements relating to defence issued by tlie Government. TOTAL STRENGTH. “Tbe total strength of the army and supplementary reserves at the beginning of tiie financial year was appioximatoy 130,000 and 25,000 in all ranks respectively. The strength of the Tentorial Army, excluding the permanent staff, at January 1, 1938, was 9046 officers and 149,797 other ranks, an increase of 1176 officers and 16,514 other ranks in the twelve months.

“The number of recruits in 1937 was 45,320 against 36,514 the previous year,” adds tbe memorandum. “The establishment of horses is now 5205 against 28,742 in 1914. Two regiments in the cavalry of the line will eventually remain horsed and the remainder will be mechanised. By the end of 1938, of fifteen such regiments on British establishments, twelve will be mechanised and three horsed, COAST DEFENCE. “Important reorganisation of antiaircralt and coast defence will take place. The searchlight units will become part ‘of tbe Royal Artillery, which will be reconstituted in two branches, one comprising horse, field and medium units, and the other antiaircraft and coast defence artillery and searchlights. The building programme for the first anti-aircraft division is now nearly complete, and good progress is being made in providing accommodation for tbe second anti-air-craft division in tbe Midlands and the North, which was inaugurated in 1937.”