ARMY ESTIMATES REDUCED.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18203, 2 March 1929, Page 17

ARMY ESTIMATES REDUCED.

Britain Leads the World. MINISTER’S INTERESTING REVIEW. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 28. Speaking on the Army Estimates in the House of Commons, Sir Worthington Evans (Minister of War) compared the British expenditure with that of other countries. He said the reduction in the effective vote in the life-time of this Government was 7 per cent. During the same period the United States had increased the comparable expenditure from £51,000,000 in 1925-26 to £59,000,000 in 1928-29. Italy had increased her expenditure from about £18,000,000 to £78,000,000, and Germany had increased hers from about £20,000,000 for tho same years in each case. Fiance bad increased her expenditure from £34,000,000 in 1925, to about £58,000,000 in 1929. The Soviet Socialist Government of Russia had more than doubled the expenditure, but its military budget included the Navy and Air Force, and he could not therefore make a close ' comparison. Belgium, Switzerland, and Japan all showed some increase, and we were the only nation which had continually reduced expenditure on its army.

Referring to mechanisation, the Minister said that now each cavalry regiment had a mechanised machinegun squadron, in addition, the cavalry regiments were being converted into armoured car regiments, and some 22 six-wheeler armoured cars of the latest pattern had been purchased as part of the equipment of one regiment. In infantry, there was an increased number of machine guns, so that each batalion had one company of 16 guns, of which 12 were manned in peace. In three battalions, those companies had mechanised‘transport ,and he hoped to be able to equip three more this year. This year they were commencing the mechanisation of the Light Artillery. Two brigades of Field Artillery had been equipped with radio telephone and four more would be so equipped this year. In the Royal Tank Corps, the modern type of tank had replaced the old war-time tank. Enormous strides had been made in the modernisation of the Army during the lifetime of the present Government.

Five Conservative Members of the House of Commons have given notice of the following motion, for whicli they desire discussion in the House: “That, in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that the name of War Office be discontinued, that the office be designated the Office of Military Defence, that the name Secretary of State for War bo discontinued, and that tlie designation shall be Secretary of State for Military Defence.’’