NEW MOVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22356, 29 February 1936, Page 13

NEW MOVE

BRITISH DEFENCE FIGHTING SERVICES CO-ORDINATION PLAN POST FOR A MINISTER By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 28, 6.5 p.m.) British Wreless RUGBY, Feb. 27 The Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, made an important statement in the House of Commons to-day regarding the co-ordination of the defence services. Mr. Baldwin said it had been decided that while the Prime Minister would retain, as clearly he must, the chairmanship of the Committee of Imperial Defence and of the Defence Policy and Bequirements Committee, a Minister would be appointed as deputy-chairman of these committees. To this Minister the Prime Minister would delegate the following duties: —(1) General day to day supervision and control on the Prime. Minister's behalf of the whole of the organisations and activity of the Committee of Imperial Defence, co-ordina-tion of executive action and of monthly progress reports to the Cabinet, or any committee appointed by it, on the execution of the reconditioning plan. Consultation With Chiefs ol Stalls (2) In the Prime Minister's absence, taking the chair at meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence and the Defence Policy and Requirements Committee. (3) Personal consultation with the chiefs of staffs together, including the right to convene under his chairmanship the Chiefs'of Staffs' Committee whenever he or they might think it desirable. (4) The chairmanship of the principal Supply Officers' Committee. Mr. Baldwin said it would be the duty of the deputy-chairman to make such recommendations as he thought necessary for improving the organisation of the Committee of Imperial Defence. The position of the Chiefs of Staffs' Committee would be as follows: —The iijidividuals composing it had a double function since each advised his own political chief, and, acting together with the committee, preserved the unimpaired right to submit confidential reports of their collective military views to the chairman or deputy chairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Supplementing Planning Committee The Minister could recommend any improvement he thought necessary in the organisation of the Committee of Imperial Defence in any event. For the purposes of co-ordinated planning the existing Joint Planning Committee, which consisted of the Directors of Plans in the three service departments, would be supplemented by three officers drawn respectively from the Navy, Army and Air Force, who would be graduates of the Imperial Defence College. These three new officers would hold official positions on the staffs of their respective departments. Their work in their own departments wouljl be chiefly that of obtaining the necessary materials for the preparation of joint plans, but their main work would be on collective plans prepared by the Joint Planning Committee for submission to the Chiefs of Staffs' Committee. In addition steps had been approved for strengthening the secretariat of the Committee of Imperial Defence. The Prime Minister announced that the White Paper containing the Government's proposals for making good the deficiencies in the national defence services would be available next Wednesday afternoon. The White Paper, which is being awaited with exceptional public interest, will be debated •on March 9 and 10. ANTI-GAS MEASURES SCHOOL FOR TRAINING COMMONS PASSES VOTE (Received February 28. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 27 A lively debate occurred in the House of Commons when Labour members opposed a grant of £BOOO for an antigas school asked for by the Home Office for the training of members of fire brigades, police force ambulance units and the lied Cross. The First Commissioner of Works, Mr. W. Ormsby-Gore, said a suitable house in the centre of 240 acres of land had been found in Gloucestershire where the work could be safely carried on. Mr. C. G. Ammon (Labour —Camberwell North) argued that the vote was likely to mislead people into believing i there was some defence being prepared ' against gas, also that war was inevit- | able. ! Mr. Bracken (Conservative —Paddington North) described the opposition to the grant as an instance of Labour members' "futile stupidity." Mr. Edward Williams (Labour — Ogmore, Glamorgan) said that to make measures effective every man, woman and child, even cattle, must be fitted with gas masks. The vote, was carried by 235 votes to 114.