Britain’s Air Force

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 67, 21 March 1935, Page 7

Britain’s Air Force

Strengthening No Longer to be Delayed

INCREASED ESTIMATES EXPLAINED

(British Official Wireless) RUGBY, March 19,

The Air Estimates for 1935, totalling £23,851,000 gross, and a small supplementary estimate of £200,000 for the current year, were introduced in the House of Commons to-day by Sir Philip Sassoon (Under-Secretary for Air). Ho said that in the cause of peace the British Government had postponed for 10 years past what had been declared as. the minimum programmme of air defence for the United Kingdom,

British weakness in the air was a danger to world peace, as well as Britain herself, and the Air Force could not be allowed to remain fifth among the air Powers in terms of first line strength. At the same time, Sih Philip Sassoon refuted exaggerated accounts of the weakness of the British Air Force and pointed out, that only France and Russia possessed a substantially greater first line strength. The United States and Italy had only a small margin of superiority in numbers of aircraft and they had actually fewer qualified pilots on tho active list than the Royal Air Force. The machines at the disposal of the Royal Air Force were inferior to none in design and performance, but technical progress was so rapid that a strenuous re-equipment programme was necessary in addition to an increase in the total numbers. Ho hoped it would be possible in the future to shorten the time taken to bring new types into production. The British aircraft industry was more than holding its own and the value of its exports in 1934 rose by 31 per cent. There were 29 foreign countries using British aeroplanes and 33 using British aero engines. Meanwhile, the expansion of the ■Royal Air Force necessitated, in the first place, additional stations and aerodromes, and this accounted for the greater part of the increase of approximately £3,500,000 on the last Estimates. Civil Aviation Turning to civil aviation, Sir Philip Sassoon paid a tribute to the work of Imperial Airways in 1934. The weight of some 6,000,000 letters sent by air from Britain last year was 122 tons, an increase of 43 per cent, on the total for 1933. In consequence of the recent 10-year agreement with Jtaly and tho provisional understanding "which had been reached with France, Imperial Airways planned soon lo operate an interim service through to Brindisi with small mail-carrying aircraft. Sir Thilip Sassoon said a full service by large aircraft would be brought into operation when the company s fleet, had been augmented to make up for the heavy demands caused by tho recent duplication of the Empire services. The Ministry, the Post Office, and Imperial Airways were continuing to operate on a long-term policy aiming at quicker and more frequent services and the carriage of all first-class Empire mails by air without a surcharge. The scheme would depend on the collaboration of the .Dominions, India, and the colonies, and on the provision of £2,900,000 of fresh capital to extend the Imperial Airways fleet. He stated that the Air Ministry were offering a £25,000 prize for the best medium-size commercial aeroplane produced by a British firm and were preparing to construct two experimental machines with which they might eventually try for height and distance records. He expressed optimism in regard to the progress of private flying in Britain and said there were more private pilots J licenses current in the United Kingdom in proportion to the population than in the United States. Assessing the Worth of an Air Force NUMBER OF MACHINES NOT ONLY FACTOR Received Wednesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, March 19. Continuing his speech on the Air Estimates in the House of Commons, Sir Philip Sassoon said that, in all the factors going to make a powerful and efficient air force, apart from mere numbers of machines, we could still challenge comparison with any other nation. It would be the height of folly lo rush up a mere facade of numbers. Behind our first-line machines there was a background of unrivalled organisation. Sir F. D. Acland (L.) said that, when lhe epitaph of Britain’s policy of the Disarmament Conference was written, it would simply be the words “Too late.’’ There would be another chance during the coming weeks and he prayed it would not be lost. The Liberals could not support these growing expenditures. Mr. Winston Churchill (O.) said wc were faced not only with the prospect of a new war but also the resumption of the war which ended in 1918. He still hoped it might be averted, but the position was far worse than in August, 1914. From being the least vulnerable of all nations, we had become the most vulnerable. Even now we were not taking measures in the true proportion of our needs. “The Government must face the storm; it will encounter every form of unfair attack and it will be misrepresented, caluminated and called warmongers,” Mr. Churchill declared. “ Why not insist that the Air Force shall be adequate. Then, however much censure and abuse it may have to face, there will be the satisfactory result

that the Government will know that it has done its duty.” Sir Philip Sassoon, replying, said: “Our programme is flexible and may be increased or decreased as emergency requires.” The motion to go to committee was carried by 185 votes to 53. Pi'otection Against Aerial Bombs MEASURES IN BRITAIN ■ /p ' , ’ Received Wednesday', 7 p.m. LONDON, March 19. In the House of Commons, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, replying to Sir Austen Chamberlain, relating to the steps to provide protection against aerial bombs, said the Government was not content to assume that there could be no protection except by. counter-bombing. A committee of scientists had alreadysuggested a promising line of research, and the Government was appointing a special sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence to conduct inquiries. Vigorous Frotesfc Expected FEANCO-ITALIAN ATTITUDE Received Wednesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, March 19. The Times’ Paris correspondent says tho Government has invited Sir John Simon to visit Paris before going to Berlin, as it is anxious to maintain the closest touch with the situation. Meanwhile the Franco-Italian discussions have resulted in an agreement regarding a separate protest being made to Germany', which.is expected to be vigorous. v