IMPERIAL DEFENCE

Southland Times, Issue 20002, 16 October 1926, Page 7

IMPERIAL DEFENCE

WHAT BRITAIN SPENDS. POSSIBILITIES OF AIRSHIPS. (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) London, October 14. Sir Samuel Hoare in a speech on the Imperial Conference aspects of defence, said Britain, though saving wherever possible, spent £116,500,000 yearly upon defence, compared with £77,000,000 in 1913-14, but the cost of the fighting services rose only 51 per cent compared with the cost of living increase of 72 per pent. The co-opera-tive relations of the three services had never been better. All overlapping had been combated. Dividing the Air Service between the Army and the Navy would duplicate the organisation and expenditure. A Ministry of Defence, uniting the three services, however attractive it might be in future, was at present uneconomical and unpractical owing to insufficient unity of feeling among the services. Efforts were directed to employing the resources for the Empire’s needs as a whole, expeditiously effecting the necessary transfers and assuring highest mobility, which was particularly the basis of their air policy. Hence the reason for developing airships to transport men and aeroplanes to the most distant parts of the Empire. 'Die recent long flights were made with that object in view.—A. and N.Z.