DISARMAMENT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18904, 20 January 1927, Page 9

DISARMAMENT.

BRITAIN'S ATTITUDE

REQUIREMENTS OF THE EMPIRE.

(BT CADLK—PKF.SS ASSOCIATION COFTRIGBT.) ("THE TEIES.')

GENEVA, January 18,

The British attitude towards disarmament is defined in an official declaration by the British Empire's disarmament delegation. The statement emphasises that tho position of an insular country, with large overseas possessions and interests, is wholly different from a Continental Empire A maritime Empire maintains a navy for two reasons, firstly for safeguarding trade routes, and commerce and food supplies, and, secondly, for the defence of its own coasts and the outlying coasts in its empire. Therefore it requires a navy, which is only partially affected by the size of neighbouring navies. The same principle applies to amies. Continental armies are primarily maintained to prevent aggression. A maritime Empire's army is maintained to supply the needs of its oversea commitments Tho size of its army is therefore practically independent pf_ the size of neighbouring armies.

This difference does not apply to air forces maintained by two different types of country, since air is a medium free froni tjie limitations necessarily limiting the action of land and sea forces. It follows, therefore, a maritime country must possess an air force sufficiently strong to repel invasion, and, in consequence, it follows its air forces, must hear a direct relation to air forces available in neighbouring countries. The declaration concludes; ''The three services are so distinct as to warrant consideration separately, not in combination."