COORDINATION OF DEFENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 22 May 1936, Page 5

COORDINATION OF DEFENCE

Mr Churchill, following Sir Thomas Inskin, argued that the Government’s programme was inadequate and could not punctually be carried out. All Europe was arming. “Show me a single quarter of the glebe where there is improvement. Show me a single reassuring fact,” added Mr Churchill. "Everything is worse from the viewpoint of peace and safety compared with this time last year. Yet the Government’s programme was already heavily in arrears. We should have to pass through a long valley of unprotectedness wherein events in Europe might reach a climax.” Mr Churchill again urged the forma-

FIRST IMPORTANT SPEECH BY NEW USSIER NATURE AND SCOPE OF WORK ORDERLY PLAN DRAWN UP FOOD SUPPLIES IN WAR-TIME (United Press Association— by Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (British Official Wireless) (Received 22nd May, 1 1.40 a.m.) RUGBY, 21st May. Sir Thomas Inskip, recently appointed Minister for Co-ordination of Defence, made his first important speech in the House of Commons, in the course of which he reviewed the nature and scope of the work he had undertaken in the nine weeks since he took up his appointment. He described the series of enquiries he had put in hand regarding the vulnerability of battleships, organisation of the Fleet air arm and war-time food supplies, and the preliminary steps taken for securing an adequate response from the industrial system to the needs of the defence services, particularly to the requirements of Air Force expansion to overtake accumulated deficiencies of many years in a short period. It ’was, Sir Thomas Inskip declared, a great enterprise, but he believed they were on the road of accomplishing it. The Minister drew a line of division between Opposition and Government supporters. The former, he said, thought there was something ominous in the preparations the country was called upon to make, while the latter were persuaded that the British claims for defence did not alarm a single nation in the world but would foster world security. He emphasised the fact that defence services had to be ready to take part in collective action under the Covenant of the League in circumstances which might be quite unforseen, and had introduced a new factor into the problems of those ’who had to form the strategic conceptions necessary for a complete system of defence. Speaking of sub-committees of the Committee of Imperial Defence, which were investigating the question of battleships and the Fleet air arm, Sir Thomas Inskip said it was attractive to envisage grand plans and spectacular decisions, but his inclination did not lie that way. Nevertheless he would not shrink from any decision, however important, if he were convinced it was necessary. Sir William Beveridge had agreed to serve as chairman of another subcommittee investigating the all-important subject of food in war-time. All aspects of the food supply would come under consideration of scientific research, and was vital in problems of defence, and the services of very eminent scientists 'were being utilised in the development of schemes. A detailed survey had been made of the material, operative and technical resources of industry. Suitable firms ordinarily engaged in peace-time activities had been classified, inspected, tabulated, and allotted to different services and departments. An orderly plan had been drawn up which embraced not only such requirement as production of shells and shell components, but provided for a factor to which attention had been directed by Mr Lloyd George and Sir Austen Chamberlain in previous debates, namely, production of essential tools and gauges. He hoped within a few days to arrange for the allocation of contracts for a full supply of these essentials and for the necessary acceleration of production. EXPANSION OF AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY Dealing with the expansion of the aircraft industry necessary for the great numbers of aircraft required by a threefold increase in the Air Force, the Minister explained that steps were being taken to enlist motor manufacturers in a scheme for building up a reserve of output. They had been asked to build new premises or extensions at the Government expense. Questioned by Mr Winston Churchill (C.), on the rapidity of production and priority of Government orders, Sir Thomas Inskip reminded the House that the Government had no compulsory powers. Mr Churchill, he said, was naturally impressed by the example of foreign Governments, which virtually placed a great part of their industrial systems on a war-time basis, and 'was inviting the British Government to follow that example, but the Government was trying to achieve a successful result without undue disturbance of normal trade. It was, Sir Thomas Inskip added, conceivable that events might compel them to change their mind. PROGRAMME HEAVILY IN ARREARS

tion of a Ministry of Munitions. Germany’s whole industry was organised for war. Sir Thomas Inskip’s speech conveyed no idea of the smoothness with which Germany could pour out an almost limitless flow of the most horrible weapons for human destruction ever placed in the hands of man. Lieut.-Commander . R. J. Fletcher (Lab.) urged the Government not to wait until 1937 for an Imperial Conference. Dominion Prime Ministers should bo summoned immediately to settle the future .foreign policy of the commonwealth and the defence plans to fulfil that policy. The world would not bo slow to appreciate all it implied.