9000 FIGHTERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23021, 26 April 1938, Page 11

9000 FIGHTERS

BRITISH AIR FLEET REVISION OF PROGRAMME DECISION' FORESHADOWED EXPANSION OF FACTORIES By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received April 25, 8.-10 p.m.) LONDON, April 25 The British Government's reply to the charges of muddle and delays in air rearmament will be the early announcement of the revision and expansion of the programme and the building of a new fleet totalling 9000 aeroplanes, says the aeronautical correspondent of the Daily Herald. The Government has already approached' important aircraft makers to ascertain their potential peak production. Plans for enlarging many of the factories have been considered with the view to mass production. There will also be an extension of the "shadow" factories. The trades unions maintain that the air industry is working at nothing like full pressure. There is growing disquiet over the Government's failure immediately to replace words with action in connection with air armament expansion, says the Australian Associated Press. The suggestion is now being publicly ventilated that Britain is seriously in arrears compared with Germany, and that if the relative strengths regarding the numbers of machines and the antiaircraft defences could be disclosed it would cause something akin to consternation. It is known that the position has been most anxiously studied for a considerable time by representatives of the Dominions, who are in very close touch through the Committee of Imperial Defence.

ARMAMENTS BUDGET DELIVERY TO-DAY SIR JOHN SIMON'S TASK £930,000,000 REQUIRED (Received April 26, 12.20 a.m.) LONDON, April 25 Rearmament dominates Sir John Simon's first Budget, which he will deliver in the House of Commons tomorrow, says the Australian Associated Press representative. The Chancellor will commence his reading of the Budget at about 3.45 p.m., and it will occupy about an hour and a-half. Sir John's task is to explain how he proposes to raise at least £930,00,000 for the current financial year, compared with £862,000,000 in the past year.