WAR ORGANISATION IN BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 290, 8 December 1939, Page 7

WAR ORGANISATION IN BRITAIN

MEN UNDER ARMS AND IN A.R.P. WORK L British Official Wireless J RUGBY, Dec. 6. Replying to the AdTress-in-Reply debate in the House of Commons, the Lord Privy Seal, Sir Samuel Hoare, contrasted the smooth working and efficiency with which manpower had been recruited, lhe supply organisation .set up, and the necessary linancial Bills put through during the first three months of tnis war, v.V-h the muddle and confusion in all three fields in 1914. There were to-day between 1,250,600 and 1,500,000 men under arms, he said, and that, would swiftly be increasing. Also tnere were nearly 1,750,000 men and women engaged in A.R.P, work. Turning to the field of supply, Sir Samuel noare said that to-uay they could feel some satisfaction in tne fact that they had already in being an organisation to purchase raw materials ana an organisation for bulk purchasing. He would not go into details regarding the activities of the Ministry of Supply in view of the short session of tne House of Commons to be held next week on this subject. He would only say that the value of contracts for munitions and equipment which had been placed since the beginning of the war was £19,500,000. ihe number of ordnance factories now in production was 13 and 16 were in various stages of completion.