BRITISH ARMY.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20492, 10 March 1932, Page 9

BRITISH ARMY.

REDUCTION OF ESTIMATES

SAVING EXCEEDS £3,000,000

(BHITISII OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) RUGBY, March 8. The Army estimates presented in the House of Commons to-day by the Financial Secretary to the War Office (Major A. Duff-Cooper) showed that the amount asked for was £36,488,999, a saving of £3,442,000 on the sum voted last year. This reduction was achieved by drastic economics, and the suspension of many essential Army services. One economy of £1,000,000 was obtained by cancelling the Territorial Army annual camp training, a saving that cannot be repeated next year. Major Duff-Cooper recalled that his Labour predecessor at the War Office, in presenting the estimates last year, stated that economies had been carried to the utmost practical limit. Nevertheless, the Army Council had been requested to meet a special call for economy by saving £3,500,000 on this year's estimates, which must, therefore, not be taken as a standard to which future estimates could be expected to conform. He paid a special tribute to the small British force now bearing a grave responsibility in Shanghai. The members of this force were performing difficult duties in a spirit worthy of the Army's best tradition. The British soldier in Shanghai, as in other places in the past, had shown himself one of the best ambassadors for peace. Different Opinions. Major C. It. Attleo (Labour, Liinehouse), following Major A. Duff Cooper, said that in spite of all reductions the nation was still spending hundreds of millions sterling yearly on the fighting services, which was an indication ot the general insanity with which world affairs were being conducted, seeing that all nations had renounced war. Mr L. C. M. S. Amery (Conservative) said the statements of the Admiralty and the War Office showed that our defence equipment was entirely inadequate. Wo must face the facts, ho added. Years of delusion had nearly ended in disaster, as the situation in the Far East was more eloquent than evasive formulas and fictions. Our power to contribute to world pcaco is going to depend in tho future, as in the past, upon our armed strength. Any undue weakness on our part will bring war nearer.