ARMY STRENGTH IN BRITAIN

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18069, 17 March 1923, Page 9

ARMY STRENGTH IN BRITAIN

NON-EFFICIENT THE QUESTION OF OUR RESERVES. WEAKER THAN 1914. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN.— COPYRIGHT (Received 8 p.m., March 16.) London, March 15. The Hon. Walter Guinness Under-Secretary of State for War, introducing the Army Estimates, said that, owing to the exodus of short-servicemen, the army would he 12,000 short of its establishment at the beginning of the next financial year. Recruiting, however, is excellent. There is no doubt that the shortage would soon he made up. The Army Council could bold out no hope" of further reductions without dropping' below the danger line. It had already run considerable risk in cutting down, as it had. The Council thought, with the present reduced Army, that it was facing' the same heavy risks as before the war, hut with dangerously decreased reserves. There was also a serious difficulty in finding cadets for Sandhurst. Mr Guinness said that money might be spent on research work. More light tanks should be constructed and a new tank battalion formed, and. mechanical transport would in some cases supersede horse transport.. Hew tanks had a speed of 20 miles an hour. Mr -T. C. Wedgewood (Labour), said that the’ Labour Party favoured an International Conference similar to the Washington one, to deal with European military armaments. In spite of the heavy expenditure, the Army was not as efficient a machine as in 1914. General Hutchison urged a reduction in the War Office staff to pve-war strength.—A. and N.Z. Cable. AGREED TO. By Cable—Pres« Association —Copyright. (Received 1 a.m., March 17.) London, March 16. Tbe Army vote was agreed,to. —A. and N.Z. Cable.