British Air Rearmament

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 64, 17 March 1938, Page 7

British Air Rearmament

Orders Placed Abroad DETERMINED TO SUCCEED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, March 15. Speaking in the House of Commons on the Air Estimates, Lieut.-Col. A. J. Muirhead said that they disclosed no specially new features, but demonstrated a continuance of the .policy and programme already decided upon towards the implementation of which consistent progress had already been made. Ho added, however, that the Government was engaged on a fresh review of the situation following international events in the last few day 3. Any further expenditure necessitated would appear in the form of supplementary estimates. Examining criticisms of the progress of armament, Lieutenant-Colonel Muirhead admitted that it was very difficult in a programme of such magnitude and variety being carried out with such speed to ensure level progress all round. There was no harm in that if there was no serious lag on any particular item. Both in regular industry and in shadow scheme engines were somewhat ahead of airframes, but the airframes' situation itself was encouraging. Also there was no lack of instruments. Lieut.-Colonel Muirhead mentioned the case of one particular instrument in which there being no pump of British manufacture available, the American type was approved and ordered. While it had been preferable to have a British type from the start had it been available, the fact that a foreign order had been placed indicated determination to leave nothing undone to achieve efficiency as quickly as possible. It had undoubtedly been right to use foreign experience and place orders abroad to bridge the gaps until British production, which was always arranged, became available. The Under Secretary mentioned in connection with the need for looking ahead to a possible air speed of 500 miles an hour that a new wind tunnel was being built at the Royal Aircraft establishment at Farnborough. Between April, 1935, and March, 1938, 4000 pilots and 40,000 airmen and boys entered the Royal Air Force. Lieutenant-Colonel Montague (Lab.) demanded an independent inquiry into the military side of the Air Ministry on lines of the Cadman Committee on civil aviation, and spoke of the criticism and unfavourable rumours in circulation regarding the organisation of rearmament in the air. Lieutenant-Colonel Montague asserted that British bombers were of inferior range to those of other countries. Not one could reach Germany's industrial and munition areas. LieutenantCommander Fletcher (Labour), moving that the House was not satisfied the existing arrangements were administratively efficient and financially sound, said that many manufacturers were complaining of lack of co-ordination. ►Sir Garro Jones, seconding the motion, challenged Lieutenant-Colonel Muirhead to deny that Germany's frontline strength, was not at least 50 per cent, greater than Britain's, or the German rate of expansion 50 per cent, greater. The Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, said he did not admit there was any parallel between the functions of the Air Ministry in relation to civil aviation and in relation to the Royal x\ir Force. The latter touched on vital interests of the country for which the responsibility of the Government was single and absolute. That responsibility could not be shared with any committee of inquiry. If the development of civil aviation had lent itself to criticism, this was due to the very fact that by the necessities of the case the whole energies of the Air Secretary and his department and of the aircraft industry had been devoted to pushing forward the enormously accelerated Air Force programme. Answering a Labour member who interjected a remark suggesting the progress compared unfavourably with that of Germany, Mr. Chamberlain asked whether he wanted them to imitate Germany in the method she had employed in regimenting German industry for the production of armaments. “We may have to, but at any rate we aro not going to do so until we are convinced nothing else will serve our turn," he asserted. Observing that the harrying and distracting of officials and manufacturers with questions which, he said, did not appear to him to be based on very competent or well-informed opinion was not a good way of ensuring efficiency, the Prime Minister ended with an appeal to all sides to put their efforts together to get on with the job and provide the Air Force if the country needed it in the shortest possible time.

NERVES ON STOCK EXCHANGE METALS RISE SHARPLY Received Wednesday, 7.40 p.m. LONDON. March 16. So great was the consternation in the City as a result of the prospect of an arms race that it became difficult to deal in large amounts of Government stocks. Nerves, however, calmed down in the afternoon and banks and other institutions were supported. Gilt-edged and industrials were also subject to selling, as the City fears further inroads. The profits of Imperial Tobacco have now fallen to £89,000,000 since the high point of lasc year, Imperial Chemicals to £32,000,000 and Woolworths to £52,000,000. As a contrast to the Stock Exchange the metal exchanges enjoyed brisk business. Copper, tin. lead and spelter fetotsi Li antfeo &£> j moil pi. . _a> aa.

all rose sharply on the prospect of heavy armament. HEAVY NAVAL BUILDING ITALIAN ESTIMATES APPROVED Received Wednesday, 7.55 p.m. ROME, March 16. Admiral Domeniea Cavagnari informed the Chamber of Deputies that Italy was launching and laying down over 260,000 tons o| new warships, the aggregate tonnage by 1941 being: Battle ships 240,000, cruisers 160.000, light surface craft 190,000, submarines 100,000. The Chamber approved naval appropriations exceeding £20,000,000.