DEFENCE PROGRAMMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22412, 7 May 1936, Page 11

DEFENCE PROGRAMMES

BRITISH DOMINIONS REVIEW BY MINISTER British Wireless RUGBY. May 5 The Secretary of State for the Dominions, Mr. Malcolm Mac Donald, was asked in the House of Commons to-day about the manner in which the Dominions are expanding their defence forces. In reply he said that with regard to Canada he understood the defence expenditure for 1934-35 showed an increase of more than 2,500,000 dollars compared with the expenditure in previous years. This expenditure was being generally maintained in the current year, with some further increase for the Air Force. Australia was engaged in carrying out a three year's programme of defence expansion, which was due to be completed at the end of the financial year 1936-37. The total cost, Mr. MacDonald understood, would be about 20,000.000 Australian pounds. In New Zealand a new Government had taken office recently. From speeches which had been reported it would appear that the Ministers there were carefully examining the defence position, but there was no indication yet of what concrete proposals they might make Proposals for strengthening the defences of South Africa had recently been announced by the Minister of Defence, Mr. O. Pirow. Asked whether any of the expenditure was for naval armaments, Mr. Mac Donald replied that in the case of Australia the main provision was for naval expenditure, but in the case of South Africa he understood the greater part of the expenditure was for Air Force expansion.