INDIAN DEFENCE

Northern Advocate, 21 March 1934, Page 5

INDIAN DEFENCE

ARMY COSTS JUSTIFIED LIABILITY TO INVASION. BRITISH TROOPS ESSENTIAL. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received 9 a.m.) ■CALCUTTA, March 20. Speaking in the Council of State, Now Delhi, yesterday, Field-Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode, Commander-in* Chief of the Army-in India, replied to criticism of army cods and the frequent demands for the withdrawal of British troops from India. Sir Philip said that India was still the most tempting base in the. world for invasion, and the majority of the troops kept were not for war purposes, but for internal security. If the British troops were removed the Provincial Government would immediately protest. It was quite impossible to reduce the cost of defence when a large proportion was used to keep Indians from getting at each other’s throats, and also to deal with extremist members ' of the National Congress and agitators who were trying to inflame the frontier tribes.

India was spending loss, than onethird of Britain’s expenditure on defence. During the debate an Indian member declared that an attack on India through- Chinn or Afghanistan Avas the major danger. India’s geographical position was vastly different from that of Australia or Canada.