Commons United Upon Government's Defence Measures

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1939, Page 5

Commons United Upon Government's Defence Measures

(Received 2.30 p.m.) RUGBY, May 9. SECRETARY CF STATE FOR WAR, ME HORE-BELISHA, MOVED THE SECOND READING OF THE RESERVE, AND AUXILIARY FORCES BILL, WHICH DEALS WITH PROCEDURE FOR THE EMBODIMENT OR MOBILISATION OF RESERVES AND AUXILIARY FORCES, AND PROVIDES, AS THE MINISTER CLAIMED, METHODS OF INSTITUTING STATE PESFARATIGNS MORE APPROPRIATE TO MODERN EMERGENCIES THAN THE EXISTING ELABORATE PROVISIONS, WHICH BATE BACK OVER CO YEARS. He asserted that most armies in E urope were now kept in varying stages of mobilisation. As a result of the provisions of the bill, Territorial Army and anti-aircraft units would be at war stations all this summer, while a certain proportion of the auxiliary Air Force would be in training, and the Admiralty would increase the readiness of the fleet reserve, including anti-submarine and mine-sweeping units.

Three Years’ Unrest. < The Minister added that the bill assumes that the situation that has arisen may continue for three years, in which case the Government should be empowered to authorise the calling up of reserves without recourse to more elaborate procedure. Reserves hitherto not called up for the annual 12 days’ training to which they were liable would be required to serve three months, enabling the regular army to train at war strength, and prepared to take the field at short notice. The individual auxiliary army and anti-aircraft forces would not serve over one month. Some 3800 fleet reservists and 1500 navy pensioners would serve three months in two batches. Reinstatement in Employment. The bill provides for reinstatement df those called up in their employment after their service is concluded. It was possible, by viewing together the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces Bill and Military Training Bill, to discern the outline of a system giving Britain more secure protection in the immedi-: ate future. Bill Carried Without Division.

The Minister’s claim that no exception was taken to the proposals of the bill in any part of the House, and that they were regarded by the Opposition members and Government supporters alike as doing no more than modernising and making more effective a part of the country’s defence machinery, was fully substantiated when the Opposition spokesman, Mr J. J. Lawson (Labour, Durham) after detailing points upon which the Labour Party would wish to see amendments of form, announced that the party would not oppose passage of the bill.

The bill was read a second time without division. The Government has decided that in order to ensure the passage of the Compulsory Military Training Bill and the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces Bill into law before the Whitsuntide recess, it must ask the House of Commons to pass a timetable motion for the committee and the remaining stages of both bills.

Four days will be allotted for the committee stage of the Military Training Bill—Thursday and Friday of this week and Monday and Tuesday of next week—and the report stage and third' reading will be taken tomorrow week.

This will involve the Government taking private members’ time on Friday, but the Prime Minister, in making the announcement, expressed the view that It would permit a full and fair discussion of the measure, the far-reaching importance of which is admitted on both sides of the House.