BRITISH DEFENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20635, 22 October 1938, Page 7

BRITISH DEFENCE.

AMI-AIRCRAFT FORCES NEW EXPERIMENT IN BRITAIN GOOD RESULTS IN CRISIS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Oct. 22, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 21 Mr L. Hore-Belisha, in a speech at Cardiff, said the crisis had shown that territorials could man the anti-air-craft defences, which were England's Maginot Line, within 24 hours, and in many instances twelve hours. The calling-up of the anti-aircraft coastal defence forces was entirely Improvised, and was entirely a new experiment in Britain's military history. A permanent force would remove the time factor, but would require a great expansion of the regular arfiTy. The anti-aircraft forces totalled 50,000, a five-fold increase in two years. Admittedly fhere was a seriour deficiency in the highly technical personnel, but training took three years and the omissions of twenty years could not be rectified in two years. AT FULLEST SPEED BRITAIN’S ARMAMENT SCHEME ATTITUDE OF THE OPPOSITION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Oct. 21 On the resumption of Parliament on November 1 the Opposition, supported by sections of the Government parties, will fight strenuously for guarantees that re-armament and other defensive measures will be pressed on at the fullest speed, says the Daily Telegraph. The political and Industrial branches of the Labour and Socialist Parties will meet next week to formulate details of the Opposition attitude. LOANB IN AUSTRALIA BIG OUTLAY ON DEFENCE £20,000,000 POR CURRENT YEAR (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Oct. 22, 1 pm.) CANBERRA, Oct. 22 The Loan Council approved of the proposal of the Federal Government to borrow an additional £4,000,000 for defence. This will increase the loan expenditure on defence to £6,000,000, and bring the total expenditure on defence In the current year to £20,000,000. The loan will be floated simultaneously with a conversion loan of £67,600,000, to be issued at par at an Interest rate of £3 17s 6d per cent. The loans will be launched within a fortnight.