BRITAIN ALONE IN REDUCTION OF HER ARMY EXPENDITURE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6849, 2 March 1929, Page 9

BRITAIN ALONE IN REDUCTION OF HER ARMY EXPENDITURE

Italy’s Huge Increase RAPID MECHANISATION OF HORSE AND FOOT NEW TYPE TANKS. British Official Wireless. Received Friday, 8 p.m* RUGBY, Feb. 28.

In Bpeakiug on the Army estimates in the House of Commons, Sir L. Worthington Evans compared the British expenditure with that of other countries. He said the reduction in the effective vote in the lifetime of this government was 70 per cent. During the same period the United States had increased its comparable expenditure from £51,000,000 in 1925-26 to £59,000,000 in 1928-29. Italy had increased her expenditure from about £18,000,000 to £78,000,000 and Germany had increased her’s from about £20,000,000 to £25,000,000 for the same years. France had increased her expenditure from £34,000,000 in 1925 to about £58,000,000 in 1929. The Soviet Socialist government of Bussia had more than doubled its expenditure but its military budget included tho Navy and Air force and he. could not therefore make a close comparison. Belgium, Switzerland and Japan all showed some increase and wo were tho only nation which had continually reduced tho expenditure on its Army. In referring to mechanisation, the Minister said that now each cavalry regiment had a- mechanised machino gun squadron. In addition, cavalry regiments were being converted into armoured car regiments and some 22 six-wheeled armoured cars of the latest pattern had been purchased as part of the equipment of one regiment. In the infantry there was an increased Humber of machine guns, so that each battalion had one company Of 16 guns, of which 12 were manned in peace time. In three battalions, those companies had mechanised transport end he hoped to bo able to equip throe more this year.

This year, they wero commencing the mechanisation of light artillery. Two brigades of field artillery had been equipped with radio telephone and four more would be so equipped this year. In the Boyal Tank Corps, a modern type of tank had replaced the old wartime tank. Enormous strides had been made in the modernisation of the army during the lifetime of the present government.