Keeping the British Army up to Scratch

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7103, 11 March 1933, Page 6

Keeping the British Army up to Scratch

BUT ESTIMATES BELOW POTENTIAL NEEDS British Official Wireless. Received Friday, 8 p.m. RUGBY, March 9. The Navy Estimates show a net total for 1933 of £53,370,000, which exceeds the net total for the previous year by £3,093,700. Of this increase, £2,355,360 is required to make normal progress with new construction. A large part of the normal expenditure upon shipbuilding in 1932 had been deliberately retarded in the interests of economy and disarmament into subsequent years by the temporary expedient of deferring the order for the 193.1 programme. The remainder of the increase provides for an automatic rise in 1933 of the total non-effective votes, including provision amounting to £295,367 for increases in retired pay pensions and superannuation allowances.

The new construction programme provides for four cruisers, one leader, eight destroyers, three submarines, three sloops, one convoy sloop, one coastal sloop and small craft. . Tho cruisers constitute the final instalment of the replacement programme due for completion by December, 1936, under tho terms of the London Naval Treaty. The Estimate's have been restricted by the exigencies of tho financial situation and do not fully provide for all the potential needs of the Navy. The First Lord of the Admiralty (Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell), in presenting the Navy Estimates, said that oil fuel produced from British coal was being tried in a number of ships. Fifteen capital ships and cruiser's were now fitted with catapults for aircraft.