BRITAIN’S AIR FORCE.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17993, 11 April 1930, Page 7

BRITAIN’S AIR FORCE.

EX-MINISTER’S WARNING. OTHER POWERS STRONGER. A REMARKABLE DEBATE. (Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 9. Lord Trenchard, formerly a Marshal of the Royal Air Force, made his maiden speech in the House of Lords to-day. lie called attention to the importance of an adequate and efficient Air Force to the British Empire. Recently, said Lord Trenchard, the Under-Secretary for Air, Mr W. FMontague, . had stated that to-day France had a first-line strcngtli of 1300 aeroplanes, Italy 1100, America 900 and Britain 770. That meant that BriLain was fourth among the Powers in air strength. ' The fact required very' earnest consideration. The Empire to-day was as dependent for security upon air power as upon the Navy. Elements in Air Power. Lord Thomson, Secretary of State for Air, said the elements in air power were : An Air Force of sufficient strength to carry out a policy of country air communications, a sufficiently developed 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. The Government was. giving jts most careful attention to tile subject. The Prime Minister was taking an active part as head of the Committee of Imperial Defence. In regard to air disarmament, Lord Thomson said Britain had never claimed a one Power standard. Air disarmament was one of Lhc biggest problems that lay ahead. If air development went on there was ncutown in Britain which was safe from bombing. The Minister said 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 fortunately they were democratically - governed. Without their political co-operation arid agreement, however, there was no prospect of air disarmament in the strict sense. Arguments Against Air Force. The ensuing debate was remarkable for the arguments against the Air Force by Earl Beatty, for the Navy, and Uie Earl of Cavan for the Army. Lord Beatty declared that the Navy would willingly forgo its disagreeable work in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea in favour of any better agency. How could airmen tell the nationality of boats smuggling arms ? It was necessary for a sloop to draw alongside suspected vessels and examine their papers. Moreover, the weather for nine out of the 12 months in the waters .referred to precluded the use of aircraft. Finally, Lord Beatty asked’, how could, an aeroplane discharge that important function of the Navy—the showing of a flag ? Lord Cavan said the question was essentially one for the Cabinet and the Committee of Imperial Defence. The Air Force depended upon,the other services. He proceeded, to attack indiscriminate warfare in the air in the course of which, he said, the innocent and the guilty alike were punished. Why the matter was never on the agenda at Geneva' was inconceivable to humanitarians.