HUGE DEFENCE APPROPRIATION.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13171, 1 February 1936, Page 6

HUGE DEFENCE APPROPRIATION.

BRITISH GOVERNMENT PREPARES. (Received 1 p.m.) United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Oopyri girt. LONDON. January 31. The Sun-Herald says that the conference of the Oabinet Defence Committee. consisting of senior Cabinetmembers. and defence chiefs., under Mr Baldwin's chairmanship, which commenced at the New year and continued almost without interruption except for the day of the King’s funeral, lias now terminated its meetings. It concentrated on the defence estimates and re-armaments programme, and a White Paper will shortly be issued, giving details of the Government’s plans for repairing gaps in Empire defences. ESTIMATES GREATY INCREASED. They are well kept secret, but it is generally bedieved that, in view of European and Asiatic unsettled conditions, they will be more extensive than were intended before the election, thus involving a larger defence loan. It is believed that the Government will have no difficulty in raising £200,000.000 or more, over a period of years if it desires such an amount for defence.

The Daily Herald says the loan would be £250,000.000, partiallV through Treasury Issues, but no official confirmation is available.