FIGHTING FORCES

Northern Advocate, 16 November 1929, Page 9

FIGHTING FORCES

BRITISH ARMY REDUCTIONS SAFETY MINIMUM REACHED. RECENT EVENTS CITED.

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 14. In the House of Lords, Baron Middleton ealled attention to post-war j reductions in the army and asked if steps were being taken to reduce the I civil establishments of the War Office and the Admiralty. He pointed Out that the army was now below the 1895 level. The obligations of- the Empire could not bo discharged by a mere study of protocols at the Peace Conference. Despite reductions in the Army and Navy, the War Office and Admiralty staffs had increased. Viscount Allenhy said it was better to bo prepared t-o meet disagreeable and unexpected happenings than to be forced to improvise means of defence at the last moment. Events in Palestine emphasised the danger of optimism leading to undue reductions. In view/of our mandates in Palestine and Iraq, we must leave adequate forces there.

Earl do la Warr, Under-Secretary for War, replied that the previous Government was responsible for the reduction in the army -and the changes in material and technical requirements. Comparisons between present and pre-war costs wore useless. For instance, mechanisation of the army alone had eost £2,000,000. War Office expenditure bad gradually declined since 1923. The Government .was determined to investigate every possible means of

saving. Viscount Pitznlan and the Marquis of Salisbury expressed the opinion that army reduction had gone as far ns it could go with safety.