DEFENCE OF BRITAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1934, Page 7

DEFENCE OF BRITAIN

COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME ONLY AIR PLAN RELEASED NATIONS NOT DISARMING “FULLY ALIVE TO DANGER” British Wireless. Rugby, Oct. 4. The Chancellor ofxthe Exchequer, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, to-day made a statement in the course of a discussion on Imperial defence at the Conservative Party Conference. He was replying to Lord Lloyd, former High Commissioner in Egypt, who in a vigorous speech, moved a resolution expressing anxiety regarding the inadequacy of the provisions made for Imperial defence. The Chancellor said that Britain had done her best by precept and example to get other countries to reduce their armaments but had failed. Until the feeling of fear and anxiety among the great armed nations could be removed there was not much hope of a serious measure of disarmament. “We are still trying to keep the peace and remove the causes of anxiety and suspicion,” said Mr. Chamberlain, “but this Government felt that, in view of the fact that after all these years no appreciable progress had been made towards disarmament, it was quite incompatible with its duty to this country to leave our defences in the condition in which they are to-day, DEFENDING TRADE ROUTES. “We have made a prolonged investigations of the state of the defences not merely of Britain but of the whole Empire because we have to defend not merely our own land but also our trade routes and Dominions. We have been engaged for many months, assisted by those who can speak with the greatest authority on behalf of the various services, in examining the whole situation and formulating adequate plans to deal with that situation. “We have made a definite announcement about the air force because we feel that the air service differs from the others in that attack from the air is one which might affect every man, woman and child. We put forward plans under which the country will spend approximately £20,000,000 in the course of this and four succeeding years in bringing up the number of squadrons of aeroplanes for home defence from 41 to 75 squadrons. “While that is the plan to-day it may be accelerated or slowed down as conditions demand. The Government Is fully alive to the dangers of the situation and is fully determined to meet them,” concluded Mr. Chamberlain. The Sun-Herald service says that the Government does not merely regard the Disarmament Conference as defunct, but the situation*'has become so much worse in the past six months that it believes there is no alternative to a thorough organisation of Britain’s defences. Events on the Continent are interpreted as tending towards a conflict. The Empire cannot ignore Continental rearming and must consolidate its collective security.