THE ARMY ESTIMATES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 8054, 7 March 1912, Page 6

THE ARMY ESTIMATES

N£W FLYING CORPS BRITISH RIFLE’S POINTS OF EXCELLENCE. By Telegraph—Press • As*ociatlon»-Copyright. LONDON, March 5. In the House of Commons, Colonel Seely, Under-Secretary for War, in introducing the Army Estimates, unhesitatingly denied that there was a particle of truth' in the. Opposition charges as to the inferiority of the Army rifle, which was extraordinarily reliable, as had been proved during the ■ South African war. Britain’s heavy guns, horse and field artillery, and haachine guns, were the best in Europe. Part of the present air battalion had been absorbed by a new flying corps, embracing soldiers, sailors and civilians. It was proposed to train 180 officers yearly and purchase 131 aeroplanes. _ Colonel Seely said the Aviation Training School on Salisbury Plain had not been used during the last four mentis by those learning to fly. The art was being learnt in private aerodromes. Mr Bonar Law, leader of the Opposition, repeated the statement that the British rifle was inferior when .the tfa-' jectdfy was compared with that of other rifles. He added that the culpable delay in improving the rifle was inexcusable.

Lord Haldane, Secretary of State for War, replying to a question, in the House of Lords, said that if there had been war last summer, the British rifle, if inferior in trajectory, would have been found to have had many advantages over the German rifle. > NATIONAL SAFETY. (Received' March 6, 11.15 n.m.) LONDON, March 6. During the debate on the Army Estimates in. the House of . Commons yesterday Mr Wyndhani (an ex-TJnder-Secre-iary for War) expressed dissatisfaction with Lord Haldane’s scheme to secure national safety. He said the expeditionary force was below its proper strength, and urged an increase m the home establishments of line _ regiments. Lieutenant-General Sir Reginald PoleCarew declared that the whole of the military needed reorganisation. The existing scheme courted disaster. Twothirds of the “money now devoted to the territorials' should bo spent on the regulars. ' -