MAKING DEFENCES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20465, 9 July 1936, Page 4

MAKING DEFENCES

THE BRITISH POSITION A plea for “a little quiet thinking” about ways other than conscription to provide the necessary armed forces for the nation was made by Sir Thomas Inskip, the Minister for the Co-ordina-tion of the Defence, at the fourth annual dinner of the Fleet Street branch of the British Legion (reports the “Daily Telegraph”). Major the Hon. J. J. Astor, M.P., president of the Fleet Street branch, was the chairman. “I do not suppose,” said Sir Thomas, “we shall ever have a great standing army in this country. It is not like an Englishman to keep a great standing army, Mr Baldwin has promised that in his time there shall never be conscription. “I wish people would do just a little quiet thinking about the question. I have no desire to pick a quarrel with those who say they are pacifists. Look at our little country, with its far-flung Empire trade routes that need protection, and the responsibilities of Empire which increase as years go on. We have, too, taken upon ourselves responsibilities to other nations and to the Covenant of the League. “How are we going to discharge those responsibilities? They are much greater than those which rested upon us when we were indulging in a policy of isolation, and some of those people who are most anxious that we should undertake duties peculiar at this age are themselves most backward to help this country to equip itself with the forces needed, if we are to undertake that which we have promised.” Colonel the Hon. E. F. Lawson, proposing the toast of the chairman, said that a good many people thought it rpight be difficult or impossible to replace Lord Riddell as president of the Fleet Street branch of the Legion. "We can now say, without loss of affection for Lord Riddell that we have succeeded in replacing him,” said Colonel Lawson. “No man would be more glad than Lord Riddell to see Major Astor sitting in his place tonight. No man is better qualified than Major Astor, by war service and by what he has since done in Fleet Street, to occupy the position.”