BRITAIN STRENGTHENS HER ARMY.

Otaki Mail, 3 April 1939, Page 1

BRITAIN STRENGTHENS HER ARMY.

WAR ESTABLISHMENT TO BE DOUBLED. TOTAL NEARLY 500,000. RUGBY, March 29. The Territorial Field Army is to be brought forthwith up to war establishment, and the war establishment is to be doubled, making 32 divisions available for service overseas in place of 19 as announced by the Minister of "War three weeks ago.

The announcement of the increase in the establishment of Territorials was made in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, who indicated that it is the first result of the re-examination of every aspect of national life, which, as he stated in his Birmingham speech, is necessitated by the new international situation. The Territorial Field Army includes SO.OOO men in the antiaircraft force and other non-field units. Thus presumably the total Territorial strength of all units will be nearly 500,000 men. Mr. Chamberlain's statement that lie felt Britain could demonstrate that the voluntary system would answer all her needs is interpreted to mean that he is not introducing conscription. The extent of Anglo-French cooperation is increasingly revealed. It is learned that General Georges. the right-hand man of General Gamelin, head of the French ■ General Staff, has been in England incognifo for the past fortnight, and that the Air Minister. M. La diamine, is likely to come to London next, week. In the course of this review, said Mr. Chamberlain, the Government had been impressed with the need for availj ing itself still further of the spirit of j ■ voluntary service which was manifest j , throughout the country, and in particu ' lar the Government felt that it could I not allow would-be recruits of the TerriI torial Army to be refused because tße I units to which they applied were I already over strength. Accordingly the Territorial Field Army, which was now ion a peace establishment of 130.000 . men, would be raised forthwith to war I establishment—an addition of about I 40,1100 men. The Territorial Field . Army, so brought up to war establish I meat, would be doubled, and would therefore be allotted an establishment j of 340.000. The Premier mentioned the increase in war potential necessary to maintain the increased force, and in reply to Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Liberal leader, who raised the question of a Ministry of Supply, said that the Government had not yet had an opportunity to con sider whether the increase would re quire any modification of the views the Government hitherto had held on that question, but it would give the matter full consideration. Mr. Chamberlain also confirmed an assumption voiced by Mr. Arthur Greenwood (Labour; that the proposal was an evidence of the Government's opinion that they had not by any means exhausted what could be done bv voluntarv service, which could be demonstrated to have the ability ot meeting all the country's needs. In a previous answer, Mr. Chambci lain had admitted that the question ot compulsory national service was discussed in conversations with the French Foreign Minister, M. Bonnet, last week. but he declined to divulge what passed in the course of the conversations.