THE BRITISH ARMY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 130, 26 February 1920, Page 5

THE BRITISH ARMY

CONSCRIPTION TO TERMINATE

LIMITATION OF MILITARY POWER TRUST IN FLEET AND AIR FORCE By Tclegraph-Prees Association-Copyright London, February 24. In Hie House of Commons Mr. Winston Churchill (Secretary of State for War), in introducing the Army Estimates, emphasised that conscription would terminate on March 31. He claimed that ho had created in a single year what was broadly tho pre-war regular Army, and also organised additional troops for the discharge of temporary and new liabilities. He mentioned that the British delegates had fought the Peace Conference for the abolition of conscription, but. the only response enme from Germany, under dire compulsion. (Laughter.) AH other States retained compulforv service, including the United States, the originator of tho League of Nations, and Russia, the home of advanced political thought.. (Cheers and laughter.) Nevertheless, Britain returned to the voluntary system, and would have by April 30. 220.000 white troops, compared with 175,000 before the war, and also during the greater part of the year 109,000 Indians.

After-War Responsibilities, Discussing the increase in the Army, in view of the German menace, Sir. Churchill thought it was idle to pretend that the pre-war Army was proportionate to the risk Britain ran or to her important role. On the other hand, new and serious responsibilities, both temporary and pormanent, had been placed on Britain as the result of the war, while the whole Eastern world was in a stato of extreme disquiet. In addition to temporary responsibilities—Rhino plebiscitary, Germany, Constantinople, Egypt, and North-west Persia—there were two important permanent responsibilities. Palestine and Mesopotamia, where tho garrisons were in the proportion of ten whites to thirteen Indians, 17,000 and 4.1.000 men respectively. Both garrisons must be reduced if either was to pay its wav. Considering the burdens in the East, no relief could bo expected until real peace was mado with Turkey. He trusted that having dispersed tho armies we would not now take steps which would mean driving tho Turkish people to despair, or undertake new obligations, because our resources were not equal to their discharge.

Mr. Churchill enumerated tho factors of unoertninty in the Middle East; for instance, tho Turkish reception of the Peace Treaty, Bolshevik aggression, tho effect of the Milner Commission in Egypt, and the termination of responsibilities in Constantinople; but he had decided to take an optimistic view, nnd to provide for the reduction of garrisons in the Middle East to half their present strength. The Irish garrison was 35,000, against 25,000 before the war.

Discussing the finance of the Estimates, which totalled 125 millions, Mr. Churchill pointed out that the cost had multiplied two and a quarter times compared with that before the war, arid resuled in less war power, Three or four years of detailed study would be needed to get the same value.

Increase of Air Force. Mr. Churchill favoured a steady increase of the Air Force at tho expense of the Army and Navy, but only in proportion as tho Air Force was able to dischargo from day to day the duties now performer bv the Army and Navy. Instancing the nossibilities of tho Air Force, he drew attention to the Somaliland campaign, and 6aid ho proposed to apply the same principle in Mesopotamia, where the Air Force would be the principal agency of control, the military and Navy acting as auxiliaries.

Referring, to the development of tanks, Mr. Churchill mentioned that ono of the new tvoe of tanks which is being developed, with a speed of twenty miles an hour, made n trial run of a thousand miles with practically no wear, and added that although the tank weighed thirty tons the. roads remained undamaged. Anti-tank warfare had also profoundly advanced.,and a new grenndo had been devised Which could he discharged from an ordinary rifle, and.was capable of inflictinsr mortal iiiiurv to a tank.

Provision for Emergencies. Summarising the Army scheme, Mr. Churchill emphasised that the, Territorial Armv would be the normal means of expansion of the British Forces. For a supreme emergency such as in August, 1914. Britain would be able to provide complete one cavalry division and six divisions of Regulars immediately, and in the course of the next few months one yeomanry division and fourteen divisions of Territorials complete with equipment and reserve. Behind these would bo , Cadets, capable of calling into being a further twenty divisions. He proposed to reduce the. garrisons in the Middlo East to the barest minimum compatible with security, sending reinforcements from Home or from India in the event of emergency. He alluded to the fact that the dominions contemplated reproducing a number of divisions from their present verv fine military material, but "the ndiustment of our relations with them will be undertaken in the future months."

Latent Reserve of Trained Men. If the scheme succeeded Britain would have for some years a large latent reserve of trained manhood and ample war materials! Germany could not become formidable for n number of years, while France and Belgium, who were organising large military forces, were bound to Britain by .ties of friendship and interest, which would probably be embodied in military arrangements. Therefore, temporarily, there was no imminent dancer in Western Europe, but the timo might come when the revival of the military strength of Germany, or of Germany and Russia combined, would necessitate a drastic revision of the arrangements. , Concluding, Mr. Churchill re-emphn-sised that Britain alone among the nations had abolished conscription, resulting in a limitation of her military power, "We will have to do the best with the forces at our disposal to discharge our duties to the Empire, and should a great emergency arise we must trust to tho Fleet and the Air Force to givo us-time to bring our might nnd dash—irresistible, us lias been proved—into the field."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.

LABOUR PARTY DISAPPOINTED. London, February 24. In the debate in the House of Commons. Mn B. C. Spoor said the Government's policy regarding the Army as revealed in Mr: Churchill's speech was a terrible disappointment' to the Labour Party. Maior-Goneral Seely (late Secretary nf Stale for the Air) sr.id he was of opinion that, it was impossible for one Minister to supervise the Andy and Air Coun-cils—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ESTIMATES AGREED TO. (Rec. February 25, 7.25 p.m.) London, February 25. Tn the Houso nf Commons the, Army Estimates vote was agreed to liy 115 votes to 52—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reu-ter.