IF WAR COMES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume III, Issue 198, 10 November 1934, Page 5

IF WAR COMES

I BRITAIN QUITE UNPRE- | PARED I .........

! Whole Empire at Mercy of j Hungry Rivals

; NEW FACTOR IN EUROPEAN !; ; unrest ■

REALITIES MUST BE FACED

Other Countries are Readv FACTORIES CAN CHANGE OVER AT FEW HOURS' NdTICE MANUFACTURE OF FIGHTING MATERIALS" WINSTON CHURCHILL'S GRAVE WARNING

Press Association —Copyright Reed. Today -2 p.'m" ~""~ London, November 9

Hon. Winston Churphill in a speech reviewing the world conditions, referred to the- House of Commons. arms dcba'fcQ and declared that the real inquiry ought to be made into the alarming decline in Britain's means of making defence weapons. . ■*

Should danger conio Britain would be much less prepared than in 1914, whereas every other largo country was prepared on a undreamed of in 1914. ' Every factory in Germany, France and Italy wasr organised to turn over at a few hours' notice from peace to war production, from sewing machines to machine guns, from motors to tanks, from perfumes -to poison gas, from chemicals to explosives. The whole hideous process was studied cut with infinite care. By pressing a button the 'whole of Germany could be turned to the single purpose of the production of death dealing machinery. This was not the moment to break 'down the few woefully shrunken armament factories 'which survived the long process of British disarmament and it was absurd to suggest- that armament firms ever "influfenced the British foreign policy.

He added that Mr "Ramsay McDonald had boasted that he had continuedly reduced defences hoping others would follow. This h.id proved to be utterly wrong. . Mr McDonald was how realis ing that th e vast Empire whose weak defences made .it a prey for hungry rivals, wai" a new factor in European instability. Mr Churchill concluded tlifi.t he intended 'to move an amendment to the air defence address giving the House of Commons an opportunity to face realities.