EMPIRE AIR DEFENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18541, 11 April 1930, Page 9

EMPIRE AIR DEFENCE.

Britain In Fourth Place. GREATER SECURITY DEMANDED. (British Official Wireless.) Received April 10, 5.30 p.m. RUGBY, April 9. Lord Trenchard, former Marshal of the Air Force, in a maiden speech in the House of Lords, called attention to the importance of an adequate and efficient air force for the British Empire. He referred to the statement recently made by the Under-Secretary for Air, that to-day France had a first line strength of 1300 aeroplanes Italy 1100, America 900, Great Britain 770. That meant that Great Britain was fourth among the Powers in air strength. He said this fact required very earnest consideration. "We were to-day,” he added, "as dependent for the security of the Empire upon air power, as we were upon the Navy.” Lord Thompson (Air Minister) said the elements in air power were an Air Force of sufficient strength to carry out the policy of the country. Air communications should be sufficiently developed, the air transport system nourished, and fed by an adequate aircraft industry, and lastly a highlydeveloped system of aeronautical research. No means of purely passive defence had been devised for dealing with attacks from the air. He assured Lord Trenchard that the Government was giving the most careful attention to the subject. The Prime Minister was taking an active part, as head of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Turning to the question of Air Disarmament, Lord Thompson said: “We have never claimed a one-Power standard in the air.” Air disarmament was one of the biggest problems that lay ahead. If air development went on, there was no town in this country, which was safe from bombing. His own view was that no country could possess air power that was not progressive and highly developed. The countries which could possess air power were very few, and they were fortunately democratically governed. Without their political cooperation and agreement, there was, however, no prospect of disarmament in the strict sense in air matters. Cii'.cr Side of Question. The ensuing debate was remarkable for the arguments against the Air Force by Lord Beatty for the Navy, and the Earl of Cavan for the Army. Lord Beatty declared that the Navy would willingly forego the disagreeable work in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea in favour of any better agency, but he asked how aeroplanes could tell nationality or show the smuggling of arms. It was necessary for a sloop to draw alongside and examine papers. Moreover, the weather for nine out of twelve months would preclude air boats. Finally, he asked how could an aeroplane discharge the important function of the Navy, namely, showing the flag. The Earl of Cavan said the question was essentially one for the Cabinet Committee on Imperial Defence. The Air Force was now the Army, but it depended on other services. He then proceeded to attack indiscriminate air warfare, where he said the innocent and guilty alike were punished. Why the matter was never on the agenda at Geneva, to humanitarians, was inconceivable.