RECORD COST OF ARMAMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20611, 28 December 1936, Page 7

RECORD COST OF ARMAMENTS

GENEVA EXPERTS’ ESTIMATES FOURTEEN HUNDRED MILLION LAST YEAR HINT OF CONSCRIPTION IN BRITAIN United Press Association—By Electric Tel egraph—Copyrlgh t (Received December 27, 6.30 p.m.) GENEVA, December 26. Experts of the League of Nations estimate that the world spent a record total of approximately £1,400,000,000 on armaments in 1936. The League of Nations armaments Year Book, in which it is stressed that the figures are indefinite owing to secrecy, records that 8,200,000 men were under arms in 1936, of which Europe’s share was 4,600,000 men which is equal to 1913. It is pointed out that the figures exclude semi-military organisations, for example Blackshirts and Brownshirts. The strength of the principal armies is as follows: Men. Russia 1,300,000 France 740,000 Germany 600.000 Italy 500,000 Britain 196,000 It is estimated that at least 17 battleships between 26,000 tons and 35,000 tons will be built by the middle of 1937. Tile military aircraft in 1936 was estimated at at least 10,500 machines with 5000 as reserves. "CONSCRIPTION MAY COME” BRITISH MINISTER'S HINTS United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received December 27, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 26. A hint that conscription may be unavoidable is contained in an article by Mr A. Duff Cooper (Minister for War) published in the periodical “Home and Empire,” in which he emphasises the enlistment of only 5 per cent of Britain’s able bodied men required in order to solve the recruiting problem. “The voluntary system must justify itself,” said the Minister. “In face of the challenge from the conscript nations I cannot over strongly emphasise thatt the system is on its trial. Recruiting is so unsatisfactory that it will break down unless there is a large and immediate improvement.”