DEBATE BY PEERS

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

DEBATE BY PEERS

SCHEME CRITICISED j LABOUR PARTY'S VIEW AIR SECRETARY'S REPLY By Telegraph—Preßs Association—Copyright (Received February 28. 6.15 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 27 While Mr. Baldwin was making his statement in the House of Commons on the co-ordination of the defence services, an animated debate was opened in the House of Lords by the Marquess of Salisbury, apparently in ignorance of the Prime Minister's speech. There has been an agitation in some quarters in favour of the appointment of a Minister of Defence who should supervise the Navy, Army and Air Force. Mr. Baldwin's plan meets the problem in a different way. Lord Salisbury condemned the present system as inadequate. Lord Strabolgi, having heard the gist of Mr. Baldwin's announcement, described it as several steps in the wrong direction. The Minister whom it Was proposed to appoint would have no real power. He would be a sort of shadow of the Prime Minister. The Labour Party's attitude, said Lord Strabolgi was that it wanted efficient defence forces without unnecessary expenditure on overlapping. It believed this could be achieved only by co-ordination. The great majority of the members of the Labour Party were prepared to support Britain in a war for her own defence, and to support the principle of collective security. Viscount Swinton, Secretary of State for Air, said that a Ministry of Defence would be impossible in peace time, because no single Minister could undertake the vast work which each Minister would have to discharge in the coming months and years. It would be equally impossible in war time, when responsibility must rest on the Prime Minister and the War Cabinet. It was essential that the Committee of Imperial Defence should centre on the Prime Minister, who should never lose contact with it. Plans must be ready to ensure that industrial firms would be able to turn rapidly to the production of war materials. Lord Salisbury, winding up the debate, said -he would be satisfied with the position as long as the Prime Minister had an operative Minister working beside him. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN PROBABLE APPOINTEE VISCOUNT SWINTON LIKELY INTERESTS OF DOMINIONS (Received February 28, fi.s p.m.) Time* Cable LONDON. Feb. 27 The Times says that Viscount Swinton. Secretary of State for Air (formerly Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister), who has been named among others for the new post of deputy chairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence, made an excellent impression in the House of Lords by his grasp of the question at issue. The new plan, in the right hands, should ensure better considered and therefore more economical defence expenditure. The Sun-Herald news service says it understands that unless an unforeseen hitch occurs, Mr. Baldwin will appoint Lord Swinton deputy chairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence. This

will be a whole time job involving a. Cabinet vacancy. A new Secretary of State for Air will be announced shortly. Lord Swinton's task will include very close liaison between the Dominions, through the High Commissioners, and the Foreign Office and defence liaison officers. However, the Sun-Herald service* says it learns that Britain's defence plans, to be published on March 3, will in no way involve co-ordinated action with the Dominions, as implied in a reported statement by Mr. Jones, of the New Zealand Cabinet. This was to the effect that New Zealand would examine the defence question in the light of Britain's new proposals, which would be received shortly. However, if the Dominions desire to co-operate they will be welcomed because British Ministers are convinced that the Empire's future is at stake, necessitating Britain and the Dominions ultimately co-ordinating their entire defences.