ASSURANCE SOUGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27039, 25 March 1949, Page 5

ASSURANCE SOUGHT

BRITISH PREPAREDNESS MEETING SUDDEN EMERGENCY STRENGTH OF ARMED FORCES QUESTIONED NZPA—Copyright Rec. 8 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 23. Lord Montgomery, wearing battledress, was present when Lord Swinton opened the debate on defence policy in the House of Lords to-day. Lord Swinton complained that there was no overall plan to which the fighting services could conform. Britain knew whom she had to plan against. “There is only one potential aggressor, and we know his power and his limitations, and our friends and allies,” he said. The more powerful Britain was. the less likely it was she would have to act. Lord Swinton, referring to the North Atlantic Pact, said this new United States intervention .in defence of world security made it more incumbent on Britain to make good her deficiencies and build up her strength. He referred to the Government’s reluctance to give figures of the strength of the armed forces, and added: “ This security business is becoming a bogey. We meet it at every turn.” Preparedness Questioned He asked whether the navy was concentrating on anti-submarine measures, and how far Britain was ready for a sudden emergency. He also asked for assurances—first, that the Royal Air Force bomber force is now, or soon will be, adequate in numbers; and, secondly, that, pending delivery of the newer bombers, British bomber crews and ground staff were being fully exercised. Lord Swinton said: “We should order sufficient new equipment and keep an adequate war potential ready. Our overall plan must embrace the Commonwealth and Empire.” The task facing the British land forces was wall within their power, particularly if the Commonwealth forces took a larger responsibility in garrison and other peace-time duties. The chief menace would be submarines, but the North Atlantic treaty meant that Britain would not have to fight this menace alone. The Earl of Cork and Orrery said it must not be overlooked that the conclusion of the Atlantic Pact woulJ accentuate the dangers of the moment. The terms of the Atlantic Pact would leave no doubt in anybody’s mind against whom the alliance was intended. He said there was good reason why Russia should do nothing to indicate that she was getting ready for war. Russia’s airfields were snowed over, and her harbours iced up, but in May military movements would be possible. Russia had a common frontier with Norway, and could at any moment take control of the Baltic. Not Ready for War “We are clearly in no way ready for war, and apparently wo do not consider war in the immediate future a possibility,” Lord Cork said. An advance from the North Cape to the Mediterranean was not an impossibility, and Russia would not have to worry about a potential enemy in her rear as Hitler had. Lord Trenchard suggested a plan which, he said, would give confidence to a large number of people in the services. He said the total strength of the air forces of the Empire and the United States should be about 550 squadrons, one-third of which should come from the Commonwealth. There should be 40 to 50 squadrons of longrange bombers. 40 to 50 squadrons of short-range fighters, 40 to 50 squadrons of long-range fighters, 30 to 40 coastal patrol squadrons to watch the submarine menace, and 50 to 60 squadrons of transport planes. Lord Trenchard did not state what the rest of the squadrons would do. He said he wanted a strong navy, but did not want to see any battleships, cruisers, or aircraft carriers. What he wanted was a fleet combined with America, which would consist of at least 1000 small, fast boats, possibly jet-propelled, with a speed of 40 knots, heavily armed with the most up-to-date equipment, to watch the submarine menace. Lord Trenchard said that for the army the Commonwealth should provide five to six highly-mechanised divisions, and five to six infantry divisions for protection and consolidation purposes.

Lord Pakenham, replying for the Government, said: “If more information were given about the services, the Russians would hail it with glee.” Lord Pakenham said the Soviet Government’s foreign policy was the single reason why Britain, in March 1950. would be maintaining under arms 750.000 men. Britain did not want to divert men and money from Eroductive usage, but had done so ecause she thought her vital interests demanded it. Lord Pakenham said the challenge that the Government was unprepared in defence was unjustified Long-term plans could not be formulated until the Atlantic Pact was signed. The Atlantic Pact would open the way to Important decisions which earlier had to be left unsettled. Britain’s defence plans would be harmonised with the Brussels Treaty countries’ plans within a wider conception of Atlantic defence. Lord Pakenham assured the House that plans had been made to deal with any emergency. He denied that any Government spokesman had said there was no danger of war this year. “ There is a danger this year, and there will be for a number of years. That does not mean that the Government thinks war probable this year.”