BRITISH ARMY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 14 March 1936, Page 7

BRITISH ARMY

NEW GUNS ADOPTED CAVALRY DIVISIONS TO BE MECHANISED (United I’ress Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 14th March, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, 13th March. The Secretary of State for War (Mr A. Duff-Cooper), in the course of his speech in presenting tlie Army Estimates iu tlie House of Commons this afternoon, referred to the suggestion sometimes heard, that should Britain be involved again in a war oil the European Continent, it might be wise to limit her contribution to the Naval and Air Forces. He said that while if that could be decided to would be a great relief to the Army Council, the tact was that there were no two opinions amongst those on whom the responsibilities for the British Army rested that they could never proceed upon any such assumption. There was no certainty that in some future conflict Britain would not have to send, at very short notice, a well-equipped force to take part in a war on the Continent. In any case in which Britain would be involved m war on the Continent it would be in support of a policy favoured by the vast majority of the British people, namely, the policy of collective security, and if were known that Britain’s contribution would be limited solely to naval and air action, it would cause considerable despondency among her partners in the collective system. IN EVENT OF ACTION

, Replying to a question, whether a British force could be transferred to the Continent in time to be of service to States which were the victims of aggression, the Minister said there were two answers. Firstly, if any State to whose support Britain had 'to come were aware that a British force might bo i sent, it miglit materially influence tlje whole of that State’s strategy in tlie early days of the conflict, and the State might take a bolder line than it otherwise might. Secondly, the mobility of the land forces was being increased all the time. The Secretary of State for War announced the adoption of an anti-tank mi. 6 anc * anti-tank machine gun. The fonr.pr is not- extremely heavy and the latter could be carried by one man. Ihe Government was satisfied that the gun was probably the best in the world. cavalry divisions would be mechanised in addition to the two which had undergone the process. Infantry brigades w:re being reorganised so that instead of four rifle battalions there would be three and one machine gun battalion. The former would have the best Bren gup. considered the beet machine gun available, also mortars and anti-tank rifles. Machine-gun battalions would be fully mechanised and the men will be carried, and armed with the new antitank gun. •Mr Duff-Cooper announced improvement in the Army and Territorial conditions! of service