Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1936 BRITAIN’S DEFENCE POLICY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 5 October 1936, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1936 BRITAIN’S DEFENCE POLICY

THE British Conservatives’ Conference at Margate is important, because as a party they dominate British politics at the present time. Speaking on behalf of the British Government, Sir Samuel Hoare made a speech which re-emphasised a necessary change in Great Britain’s policy in relation to armaments. For years past the British Government and people favoured a policy which would reduce armaments, but received no encouragement from the Great Powers of Europe, whose policy has been, and still is, to maintain armies of the greatest strength permitted by their resources, with vast reserves of trained men, arms and ammunition. France, for instance, has decided to spand on material for her army, navy, and air force no less a sum than 186 million pounds sterling, and Germany is spending in warlike preparations an even greater sum. These facts, and others which are of a like nature, caused Sir Samuel Hoare to say, “The first lesson is the futility of one-sided disarmament (such as Britain’s has been), and the second is the need of a greatly strengthened British Empire as a stabilising force on the side of pence,’"and the British Minister went on to ss v, “The supposed weakness of the British Empire has been proved by bitter experience to be a disturbing factor in the field of international politics. Faced with this situation we have no alternative but to carry through with the least possible delay our programme of re-armament.” It is not proposed to increase the British army in any rhaterial degree. Neither is it proposed to do more than modernise the navy, and bring it up to date. The British Minister’s remarks must therefore be taken to imply a great expansion of the air force, which Mr Baldwin has declared will be se-

cond to none in Europe. It must be clearly understood that the British Government’s policy is peaceful. Failing to attain a policy of disarmament, it is now preparing to meet any emergency which may result from a breach of peace on the Continent of Europe. The civilised nations are well aware of Great Britain’s desire for the maintenance of peace, and none of them will misunderstand her decision to place her defences in order.