VAST COST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23274, 17 February 1939, Page 11

VAST COST

BRITAIN'S BURDEN

TOTAL £580,000,000

NEXT YEAR'S PLANS

TWO MORE BATTLESHIPS DEFENCE of civilians jy Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright British Wireless LONDON, Feb. 15 The White Paper which the Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, promised the House of Commons would be available in advance was issued to-night. It reveals that the estimates for the three Defence Departments in the next financial year total £523,000,000, and the defence expenditure, including expenditure on civil defence, about £580,000,000. This compares with an expenditure ■for the three Defence Departments in 1937 of about £262,000,000, and in the current financial year of about £388.000.000. The total expenditure on defence m the first three years of the five years endin c March, 1942, will amount to W ore"than £1,173,000,000, and the expenditure in the third year will exceed that of the second year by about •*175,000,000. It will exceed the portion of the current year's defence expenditure met from revenue by as much as £307,000,000.

Need for Expenditure Deplored

The main reason for the substantial increase in expenditure, it is P°» ou t. lies in the expense to which it has been necessary to go to enlarge e original programme in order to make adequate provision for defence against the contingency- of air attack. Toward the end of the statement, the Government says: "It is everyv lere recognised that British armaments -will 'have no aggressive purpose. Britain Sy deplores the need for the expense of these vast sums on arma301''Britain has already indicated that when other nations are Prepared o consider some arrangements for limitation of armaments this country will be prepared to play its part. H ™ r , in the absence of a general reduction of armaments, it is inevitable that this country should contihue to take the steps necessary in the light op sent developments for its own protection and for the discharge of its responsibilities elsewhere

Production on Increasing Scale Regarding the progress of the re armament programme, the Paper states that the earlier stages have now been completed. Industrial capacity has been largely increased and new models have been designed, tried out, and are in production. M three Service Departments are now receiving* armament stores of all kinds and the latest models in large quantities, and production will continue on an increasing scale. It is shown that in the three financial years before the Great War the average annual tonnage of the principal classes of warships, excluding submarines, completed in Britain, was 170,000, while the completed tonnage for the year ending March, 1941, will be 219,500, and the tonnage by the end of next month is expected to reach 659,500. . Navy and the Air Force The inclusion of another two capital ships in the 1939 naval programme makes nine of these vessels under construction. Also, in the 1939 programme will be included two destroyer flotillas, and 20 fast escort vessels of a new type intended for the protection of shipping against submarine and air attacks.

Sixty warships of a total of 120,000 tons are expected to be added to the Fleet in the forthcoming year. Three capital ships will be modernised. Great progress has been made in the strengthening of anti-aircraft armament in other ships of the Fleet. The production of many items for the rearmament of the Army with modern weapons has reached a stage when completion is in sight.

The monthly rate of delivery ofr aircraft has been more than doubled in the current financial year, and will show further substantial increases.

The expenditure on air raid precatir tions amounted to £3,500,000 in 1937. In the present year it is estimated to reach £9,250,000, while for next year the estimate is £42,000,000, exclusive of assistance to vital public utility services ahd water emergency and fire fighting purposes estimated at £9,000,000. Air Raid precaution Volunteera The system of erecting factories at the Government's expense, managed by business men, has been extended. The Roval Air Force recruits tor the year ending March 31. 1939, will probably reach 35,000. More than 2500 volunteer reservists are in training as pilots. The Territorial Army has been reorganised to conform to the Regular Army, with the addition of motor-cycle battalions.

The balloon barrage system hfts been extended to the provinces, and comprises 47 squadrons. Air raid precaution volunteers enrolled to December number 1,150,000. Steel shelters, providing for 10,000,000 People in basements, and strengthenof trenches will be completed at a cost of £20.000,000.

Fifty thousand beds and mattresses will be distributed to hospitails and institutions, and *200.000 blankets have been ordered. Storage of Food and Fuel

The Government has allotted £5,000,000 for the storage of food, fertilisers and petroleum in 1989, compared with £8,500.000 in 1938. The report concludes that the Government is confident that the people ?'ill be ready to bear tho heavy burden involved and share in the determination of the Government to ensure the adequacy of the defence preparations. . The White Paper emphasises that it 15 impossible at present to predict how , the world situation will permit the slowing down of the production armaments, but suitable arrangements have been made to secure an tistment of the programme in the t of any improvement in the interactional situation.