BRITAIN'S AIR FORCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20537, 11 April 1930, Page 11

BRITAIN'S AIR FORCE.

OTHER POWERS STRONGER.

LORD TRENCHARO'S WARNING

IMPORTANCE TO THE EMPIRE

ARMY AND NAVY OPPONENTS

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received April 10. 5.5 p.m.) British "Wireless. RUGBY, April 9. Lord Trenchan], formerly a 'Marshal of the Royal Air Force, made his maiden speech iri the Houso of Lords to-day. JTo called attention to the importance of an adequate and efficient Air Forco to the British Empire. Recently, said Lord Trenrhard, the Under-Secretary for Air, Mr. W. F. Montague, had stated that to-day France had a first-lino strength of 1300 aeroplanes, Italy 1100, America 9CO and Britain 770. That meant that Britain was fourth among the Powers in air strength. The fact required very earnest consideration. The Empire to-day was as dependent for security upon air power as upon the Navy. Lord Thomson, Secretary of State for Air, said the elements in air power were: An Air Force of sufficient strength to carry out a policy of country air communications, a sufficiently developed air transport system nourished and fed by an adequate aircraft industry, and, lastly, a highly-developed system of aeronautical research

No means of purely passive defence had been devised for dealing with attacks from the air. The Government was giving its most careful attention to tho subject. The Prirno Minister was taking an active part as head of the Committee of Imperial Defence.

Question of Disarmament. In regard to air disarmament, Lord Thomson said Britain had never claimed a ono Power standard. Air disarmament was ono of the biggest problems that lay ahead. If air development went on there was no town in Britain which was safe from bombing.

Tho Minister said his own view was that no country could possoss air power that was not progressive and highly developed. * The countries which could possess air power wero very few and fortunately they wero democratically governed. Without their political co-opera-tion and agreement, however, there was no prospect of air disarmament in tho strict sense.

Use of Air Arm Deprecated. The ensuing debate was remarkablo for the arguments against the Air Force by Earl Beatty, for the Navy, and the Earl of C.ivan for the Army. Lord Beatty declared that the Navy would willingly forgo its disagreeable work in tho Persian Gulf and tho Bed Sea in favour of any hotter agency. How could airmen tell Iho nationality of 1 mats smuggling arms? It was necessary for a sloop to draw alongside suspected vessels and examine their papers. Moreover, the weather for nino out of the 12 months in tho waters referred to precluded tho uso of aircraft. Finally, Lord Beatty asked, how could an aeroplane discharge that important function of tho Navy—tho showing of a flag ? Lord Cuvari said the question was essentially one for the Cabinet and the Committee of Imperial Defence. The Air Force depended upon the other services. He proceeded to attack indiscriminate warfare in the air in tho course of which, he said, the innocent and the guilty aliko were punished. Why the matter was tiever on the agenda at Geneva was inconceivable to humanitarians.