ARMY OF BRITAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19892, 10 March 1928, Page 11

ARMY OF BRITAIN.

estimates adopted. decrease oh last year. ■ TESTS of mechanisation. SATISFACTORY RESULTS. V/AR methods altered.

By Telegraph —Press Association— Copyright. (British Official Wireless.) (Receivad March 9. 5.5 p.m.) k #nd N.Z.-Sun. RUGBY, March 8. The Army Estimates were to-day introduced i n the House of Commons by ihci Secretary of State for War, Sir Taming Worthington-Evans. The total ..timates were £41.050.000, compared with £41,565,000 last year. The. Minister said the actual saving to {he taxpayers was more than £1,000,000. Thi3 was because the War Office was receiving £500,000 less than last year from the Exchequer for the Rbineland Army. Also £200.000 in respect of the Middle East had fallen to the Army vote instead c f to the Dominions Office vote.. The time had come to state the results of the experiments carried out in connection with the mechanisation of the t Army. The additional mobility and caTy' n ß power of. mechanical vehicles, and' the striking force of tanks, were creating a revolution in their application to the principles of warfare, just as the motor-car had transformed the business and social life of the nation. Conversion of Cavalry Regiments. last year's manoeuvres with complete mechanised formations had exceeded expectations. It was too early to say anything positive about the outcome, but it •was possible that ultimately very few soldiers in actual warfare would march great distances to battles. They might be carried by air or in motor vehicles. The whole organisation of military divisions, with their proportions of cavalry, artillery and infantry, might eventually be replaced by smaller groups of men with various mechanical vehicles and tanks. In the meanwhile they had to maintain, the forces known to be valuable, The experiments in mechanisation were being continued. Existing formations were gradually being based on the increased mobility and firo power provided by motor-vehicles. S'r Laming said many critics had accused him of weakness and wastefulness because he did not disband immediately all the cavalry. Although the cavalry on the Western front in the Great War was overshadowed by more important happenings the experience in Palestine had shown that in certain countries cavalry still, was effective and necessary. Continued Use lor Mounted Men. He did not propose immediately to dispense with any more of the mounted units, but two cavalry regiments would exchange their horses for armoured cars. The heavy and medium artillery were being mechanised. The rest of the field artillery was still horse-drawn, but it was intended to convert the latter as soon as funds were available. It would a-.vays be necessary to find the enemy and take precautions against surprise attacks. Reconnaisance was therefore necessary. Long distance reconnaisance, weather permitting, could be done by aoroplanes. At medium distances -aeroplanes were of great advantage, but close reconnaisances, especially in country which afforded some cover, ha,d still to be done by troops capable of speedy and silent movement over difficult ground, and in the face of opposition. Eflect on Training Very Marked. Continuing, the Minister said the mechanised squadron at present consisted of six-wheeled lorries carrying eight machine-guns in peace time and 16 in war time. These six-wheeled lorries would also carry the first line of transport. He hoped in future to substitute light armoured-vehicles for the sixwheeled lorries.

The experiments at Tidworth had been carried out with a mechanical force, consisting of a tank battalion, an armouredcar company, mechanised artillery and the Somerset Light Infantry mounted in siswheeled lorries. The first problem was to settle what auxiliary units had to be associated with the tank battalion, which was treated as the main assaulting 'force, in order to enable the commander of the force to strike his enemy with a maximum of speed and effect. The General Officer Commanding had reported that the results of the experiments had exceeded his expectations and that the psychological effect on training had been very marked. The policy now being pursued was gradually to. convert the existing formations, which were organised without reference to mechanical vehicles, into formations based upon increased mobility and fire power given by the use of internal combustion engines, whether used in aeroplanes or in land armaments or transport. The Minister added that the Estimates did not provide for the forces in China. Labour Members' Criticisms. Mr. J. J. Lawson, Labour member for Cbestcr-ie-Street, Durham, said that his party would support the vote because it ti.ought the Army ought to be efficient in its purpose. The most grave revelation was that only one-third of the men offering as recruits were found to be physically fit. . 1,7 Mr. «T. Wheat lev, Labour member for Shettleston; Glasgow, said: "If we could have a demonstration on the floor of the House of a man being bayoneted there ■would be less enthusiasm about armaments. Was it all through fear? Russia was the only country which was leading Britain in real disarmament. The Parliamentary Secretary for War, Mr. A. Duff-Cooper, in replying to the debate, said Mr. Wheatley's utterance was irrelevant and out of place. Russia's disarmament proposal was only intended to make the League of Nations look ridiculous. Everyone wanted peace and disarmament, but no advocate of peace believed complete disarmament was an ideal that was within reach. The Government's policy was to make the Army *3 small, efficient and cheap as possible. In closing the debate the War Minister emphasised the fact that before the war the strength of the Army was 719,000, to-day it is 472,000. The vote was •greed to by 160 votes to 20. lilll i