BRITISH ROLE IN NEXT WAR

Southland Times, Issue 23768, 16 March 1939, Page 5

BRITISH ROLE IN NEXT WAR

Question Of Troops For Continent POSSIBLE DISAGREEMENT WITH FRANCE (British Official Wireless) (Received March 15, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, March 14. When the Army Estimates were considered in the House of Commons this evening Mr H. B. Lees-Smith, for the Labour Opposition, expressed concern that in the staff conversations between Britain and France no commitments, formal or implied, should be entered into which would prevent Britain in the event of war from exercising her judgment about the best use of the country’s resources. He thought that the British and French views of the role of the British army in a future conflict might differ and that the French might underestimate the important part the British Navy might again be called upon to play. From the premise that defence on the western front at least might enjoy a superiority of as much as three to one—given approximate equality in air strength—Mr Lees-Smith concluded that the next war might be one of long duration in which economic resource and the power of blockade might be the final and decisive factor. As far as a British field force was concerned, Mr Lees-Smith indicated his view that there might be other theatres in which in the event of war its presence might be more urgently required than in France. Such considerations brought him back to the question of whether collective thinking on the problems of strategy would ever be satisfactorily achieved until the service departments were fused in a Ministry of Defence. Mr Winston Churchill (Conservative) congratulated Mr L. Hore-Belisha, as Secretary for War, on his estimates speech last week and his success in improving the recruiting figures. He also congratulated the Government on the decisions to provide the Territorial Army with the same weapons and equipment as the Regular Army to provide 19 divisions for general service overseas should the occasion require it. Mr Churchill said he thought that the last was a momentous decision and described it as the first instalment of the bill for Munich. He was afraid, he added, that there might yet be other instalments to be met. GREATER DEMANDS? Mr Churchill said the time might well come when the Government would have to make eyen greater demands on the people in the interests of national security, but he was confident, he said, that they would submit to such demands for the sake of their own security and for the triumph . of world causes in which they were inseparably involved. Mr Churchill said he was particularly concerned to know what steps were being taken to provide industrial arrangements which would ensure adequate supplies to a field force of 19 divisions. , v Mr F. J. Bellenger (Labour) said that although recruiting had made great strides it would be necessary to prepare the nation for a greater effort even than the provision of 19 divisions for service overseas. He wanted to know what the Government was proposing to do to create that sense of national unity which, he said, alone could provide the man power and production it would need to oppose totalitarian warfare. Mr W. S. Sanders (Labour) urged that the fact to be borne in mind was that Germany was already on a war footing. SCANDINAVIAN POWERS Major J. J. Astor (Conservative), like Mr Lees-Smith, drew attention to the apprehension felt in certain countries in north-western Europe to

whom it might be necessary to give assistance in war. Mr M. P. Price (Labour) emphasized the importance of equipment in modern warfare and said that the size of the British armed forces mattered _ less than that they should be equipped with the most modern and efficient types and on a sufficient scale. Mr L. S. Amery (Conservative) praised Mr Hore-Belisha for his decision to build up a strategical reserve at home. He doubted if 19 divisions were sufficient. Mr Hore-Belisha said he realized that the strength of the Army lay not only at Aidershot but in the factories. It would be necessary to expand productive capacity considerably. “Our infantry reserve is increasing, but it is not yet sufficient to provide requirements 1 until after mobilization of the recruits obtained,” said Mr Hore-Belisha. “We have a technical reserve whose peace-time vocation corresponds with that required in war time.” The Minister said he intended to announce an improvement in promotion in the ranks.

YOUTHS OF 171 MAY ENTER ARMY AGE LIMIT LOWERED BY SIX MONTHS (Received March 15, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. The Secretary for War (Mr L. HoreBelisha) in the debate in the House of Commons announced the lowering of the age for entering the army from 18 to 17 J years. Mr Hore-Belisha, though declining to commit himself to a precise date for the benefit of any intending enemy, indicated that the territorial contingent of the proposed field force would be ready to depart quite possibly within the relatively short period suggested by Mr Lees-Smith. He assured Mr Churchill that it was intended that the Middle East reserves should be as self-sufficient as possible and provided with stores of food, vehicles and munitions. He also said that the Government fully recognized the necessity, in view of .the personnel to be served, of a considerable expansion of productive capacity and of placing large additional orders.