BRITISH DEFENCES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19777, 3 November 1938, Page 8

BRITISH DEFENCES

SUGGESTION OF INQUIRY DEBATED EY LORDS INDEPENDENT COM MITT EE 0 O'VEIiNM ENT ATTITU D E (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.20 p.m. RUGBY. Nov. 2. During the debate in the House of Lords last night on Lord Strabolgi’s motion in favour of an independent committee of inquiry into the state cl' the national defences, with particular reference to air raid precautions, support for establishing a Ministry of National Service and a Ministry of Supply was forthcoming from Lord Swinton and other Government members.

Following a statement by Lord Zetland, dissatisfaction was expressed by Lord Balfour and Uord Stonehaven, and Lord Balfour said that If the motion was pressed to a division, subject to any further Government statement, ho would vote for the motion.

Advantage of Experience

Lord Zetland, in his statement, said that the Government was determined to take the utmost advantage of the experience it had derived from tire recent emergency It already had taken steps to review the preparations for defence. The appointment of an independent committee would only result in duplication. In the recent emergency the defence plans worked with extreme smoothness and success. He admitted that there were weaknesses and deficiencies, but it must be remembered that they were prepared against a form of war of which they had no experience. The Government's attitude to the national service register was that it was not at present prepared compulsorily to register every person in the country, but it had a voluntary scheme which was about to be put into operation first. If the Government found that, on a voluntary basis, it was unable, either as far as industries or services were concerned, to obtain the required results, it would certainly be prepared to take another view.