TERRITORIAL FIELD ARMY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 June 1939, Page 10

TERRITORIAL FIELD ARMY

86 PER CENT. OF NEW DOUBLE BASIS WAR MINISTER’S COMMENTS ■I MILLION POUNDS WEEKLY BEING SPENT ■ (British Official Wireless! ■ RUGBY, 9th June. The Minister for War, Mr Horei Belisha, speaking at a dinner following • an official inspection of the Devonport : Garrison, surveyed the developments of ■ past years in the territorial field army which, he said, was to-day at 86 percent of its strength on the new doubled i basis. These changes and increases, i drastic though they were, did not, however, complete the pattern they had [ been shaping, for they had since form- . ed a militia which should provide . another 800,000 men in the next three , Some persons may have feared that . this calling up of young men between [ the ages of 20 and 21 would spell the , ruin of the voluntary system and of the territorial army said the Minister. Such had not been the case. . Referring to the task falling upon , the War Office as one of unprecedented | ! magnitude. Mr Hore-Belisha said that ! the building programme alone for the j current year averaged nearly a £I.OOO.- 1 Y 000 weekly. To train and administer 1 the militia meant a permanent increase in the establishment of the regular army of some 1900 officers and 19,000 ' warrant officers, N.C.O.s and men. The doubling of the territorial army had meant the gazetting of 9000 new ' officers. Throughout all these changes, j involving great difficulties of provision and adjustment, the spirit of enthusiasm | and understanding of the territorial army had met every call made upon it.