BRITAIN'S DEFENCE

Chronicle (Levin), 21 February 1948, Page 7

BRITAIN'S DEFENCE

Statement On Strength Of Armed Forces LONDON, Feb. 19. A White Paper issued touay says that the G-overnment lirnxly liiteiids to maintain tlie forces neeclecl to suppor't its international poiicy and. ensure tlie deience of Britain, maintain its interests throughont the world, and enable it to play its full .part in the preservation' of world peace. "The )>asis of tlie naval' construclion programes. for 19411-19," it says, " is tlie maiuteuiuice and repair of ihe active lieet expocteil to be in coniniission during tiie year. Work will be eontinued on ships under con- • etruetion. ' ' Kei-ruiting for tlie three Bervices lias been disappoinliug. Tlie White l'aper shows tliat tlie strenglh of llie Arnied Forces is expeeted to t'all during 1948-49 from 940, 000 to 71(5,000 and ihe total defence costs f ro in .iS99, 000.000 to £592, (500,000. The Governnient intends to maintain Ihe principle of universal niilitary service, but for .194S, 1949, and 1950 tlie niaximuni annual iutake of national serviee niea will be limited to 150,000 bv progressively raising the age of " eall-up. There will be no reduetion during tlie year of Ihe Xavv personncl, \vliich totals 14,1,000, but tlie Arniy will be reduced froni 514,000 to .'545,000, and tho Koyal Air For ro from 2(51,000 to 220,000.

Tlie total estimated defence expendilure is broken .down as follows: — The Navv, £15.4,000,000; tlie Anny, £405,000,000; the JUA.U. £ 1 74, 000, 000 ; the -Ministry of Supply, £01,000.000. In adilition. the Ministry of Defence will be alloeated £000,000. The net niilitary ex])enditure overseas w'ill total about £75,000,000. The White Paper states that Britain 's total net estiniate for the Civil Bervices, the revenue 'depurtments, and the Ministry of Defence. for 1948-49 is £1.9(50,8 79,441, coinpared witli a total o i

net estiniate for 1947-48 of £2,210,S41,51 1. 4he total of the net civil esumates is £l,7t59, ti 15,487, compared with tlie 1947-15 tigure of £2,054,808,105. Tlie revenue departinents, Customs and Dxelse, inland revenue and Posl Ottice estiniates total £190,t534,390, compared with £175, l53ti, 300 in 1947-48. The Alinistry of Defence estiniate is £531,(554, eoiupared with £397,109. piscussing the future of defence poiicy, tlie White Paper points out that in the present situation where XJJNO is not yet able to enforce peace, the best detenrant to war is tangible evidence of our intention and ability to withstand attack. Whether it is a cjuestion of self-defence or of support oi UNO, it is necessary to maintain- British forces' in peacetime to deter aggression which might lead to war. "Xew scientiiic dovelopment do not niodil'y tho basic principles of defence," tlie White Paper adds, "but the advont of weupons of mass deslruction niust inllueuee both the prejiarations for and eonduet of war. Though it is not yet possible to ussess with any accuracy wliat their eHect of strategy will be, it can be said provisionally that their existence inereases the possibility of surprise attack, since the eliort required to deliver devastating attacks with tliese weapons will be smalter tlian that which would be deuianded by the use of eonventioua] weapons and that doeisive results inight even be obtained by them alone." This, the White Paper says, is aij eniphatie remlnder of the need to preserve a. flexible poiicy and a warning that there must be no rigidity in dec'isions about ihe future roles. of the three iServices. '