ITALIANS INCREASE DEFENCE COSTS

Southland Times, Issue 23693, 16 December 1938, Page 5

ITALIANS INCREASE DEFENCE COSTS

EXPENDITURE OF £92,000,000 IN 1939 LONDON, December 14. An official statement issued after a meeting of tjie Italian Cabinet says that because' of the urgent necessity for further developing and strengthening armaments, in view of the general situation, the total expenditure on armaments in the year beginning January 7, 1939, will be £92,000,000, says the Rome correspondent of the British United Press. This is in addition to the £19,250,000 already earmarked for defence, which is being reserved for later necessities. The Army will receive £37,845,000, the Navy £30,000,000, and the air force £24,115,000. The appropriations for public works, the mercantile marine and communications are also increased, and the total Budget expenditure is £325,745,000 and the estimated revenue £273,000,000. The current year’s expenditure on armaments is £64,430,000. EMPLOYERS ORDERED TO PROVIDE GAS MASKS GOVERNMENT DECISION CAUSES SURPRISE (Independent Cable Service) (Received December 15, 6.30 p.m.) ROME, December 14. The Italian Government has ordered landlords, industrialists and professional men to provide gas masks for their staffs before December 31. The decision is surprising, as gas masks in the past have been practically unobtainable outside the army. EGYPT TO REORGANIZE DEFENCES CAIRO, December 14. The Egyptian Defence Council has approved of a five-year .plan for reorganizing the defences at a cost of £19,000,000. The allocations consist of £6,000,000 for air defence, which will provide 500 aeroplanes, £12,000,000 for an army of four divisions totalling 80,000 men, £1,000,000 for the navy and £700,000 for armament factories.