EMPIRE POLICE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 145, 23 June 1930, Page 7

EMPIRE POLICE

OF AIR FOBCH /

COMMISSION ASKED

/ While. New Zealand thinks of i»» i trenchment in the defence vote, it i(j - interesting to see that during the ,de^ bate on the Air Estimates in the Brit* .- ish Parliament Lord Trencha'ra, wh> p - reached high rank in. the land forces'/ . before he was . transferred to the ai^ ';:; arm' of which 'he later gained com* raarid, and Sir _Sainij^J Hoaro b«th ask>! ; ' ed for a Commission of Inquiry ixtflj , the possibilities' of the Air Force per^ : forming -more work in policing' the Em* pire, and pointed out that.it could -doi'/:.. / much 'ot this work more "economically. ; . than either'of the other'■.services. , ■•:■'...:L . Both .these high authorities pointed ;; out that, though th.o "establishments o^ • ■? the^ Navy./and Army'■have-, /been dras* tically reduced; in V coniparison wittf those of 1914, ' the taxpayer,'has ob-;. ;'•. taihed no relief, mainly because'of tht /■"■■',' cost of. developing" the: third service* ■which, with - many/ heavy responsibili?".."•■■ ■ ties, sUnds .to-day,/despite/this/develop*^ -)y. ment, only in the fourth place of th«j air forces of the-world, and has littlsT- : more than, half the iumbei- of'first-linia" : . - machines-possessed by the: chief ai% :/ Power, France. - '-■- • • ■■'}.::'-':." ■■; ;-...'-.. - .Failing an international agreement t<| ,: '. limit air armaments and prevent .com.*': ,; petition, for which /Lord Thomson elo« ' quentlypleaded,' .this means; that ther«i X ,;; iSvlittle prospect of financial .relief un» ■' less the Royal; A^r Force/can .undertake ■ dutiea which will allow of further fe» • .■ Auctions in Navy and Army. r(eays a V iWriter in"The Times"). I propose to '. examine, some of the claims made byj ; Lord Trenchard and Sir Samuel Hoare, -but- there "is- a' more important matter ;';■' which must; be .Considered fii'st. ; / "■'"-' * ,: The Government have indicated that ; an inqniry is aready on foot, and that, ';■■'. it will be conducted 'by "^the,body pro- ; : per'for that,purpose,'the Committee of; - Imperial Defence1... It is much to b«. desired that this -inquiry shalli not; be i r,' { limited to'the. possibility of. substitut* ■ )p. ing "air squatf-ons' for and bat* ; "; taliong in 'what'Lbr3'Trenchard called ; \ . V the wide spaces of the Empire,'' but" v: will first examine the whole problem ot : ,■';•';: the role of the Boyal: Ak.Force.Jn:lra*;. perial^Defence, and its;relations^ to tM"';'; 5 other>services. t..As >Tjprdf ,iGav.an,; l)Asi'', . [,■■■'.'[■■ former: Chief .'of ■• the Imperial ..'General , .Staff,.pointedlout in .the:.debate;in th* : ; ;;-| Lords,' the three, serviceg:,;are^^^interd«« : ,i' pendent!1 While war remains &• possi*'. :; ' bility, the' strength* andVdistribution -oi : v : i: each in peace must: be related'to thei^Vi i functions in •war;';aud to that interd««|;'C ' peridence: ; • '-■.'■ ■■■..['•-■':■''''■■ ■■'?. :</, ;;:"4S?^"-{' '~-,;' When, '■■ in; 1923,^ the Com*' ■ ■:■ •'■'';; mittee setVup the; sub-committeevofc fhjj ;, : : • three;r.Chiefs: o^/'Sti^.;as';,aNperinanenlif''-vi!, adjunct to the Committee' of jlmperial;;- i> Defence, jtho functions,of "that sub-coin* i '-. -, mittee were' declared to be to adyis* I •'on;:'defen<;e policy: as; a'«whole;Sth«j : three ; constituting, '. as /it. were, a sbper* ■, ■ ' chief of >a jWar Staff in commission.'*';•' iThis. is-the most''pregnant ■ measur«( '. \; wHeHhasbeen taken in therbrganisa^;-. >*; 'tion'-of, lmperial Defence, but'there ar«:'\ ; L not wanting, signs that it ;has not yeliff;:; " given birtt.to that common doctrine.qf f;:; ; Imperial Defence 'which should JRoyewi'fe'l^i and inspi.ro the work/.of the jthreo'•'jjerr'/rt; ■■':■■'■• vices^ Indeedj 'in '.the debate: itt% ttSjf Lords and- in pronouncements,-, whicK;; i vj have,been made 'elsewhere; there:is1 eyij;;;j| };\ dence /of -.a-..' somewhat ••> aiarniing fdiverg»i?|' ; : j ence jof: view on>;the ;problems 'of /-Inw^g '. i perial strategy-which shbuldp;not"eiißti(-f||- - Staff-:of;the; : War.'',Officrf^f S declare .their doctrine ..of "jwair.v'id'-ittui''^""•.*.'l latest edition of ;Field Serjice'j:^g^i S -'' lati6ns:.' <ilThe^aim J .bf ■ the^wtt^y^is/v-jiii^--- > .<»-op'eratwiV;Vwiih , : the;,Na^'^a-;?Ai«i|y '.-. ■ Force,:.to .break down^^ithe-fesistance'-oij :; ~ the enemy'« armed .forces in ' itottier«nci::i; V- : i ,isf ..'the. approved -1 plan ot 'campifiga.'?*;.: :'■■■? ;:>j Lord Trenchard, in, his speech—whiei£' | with' due allowance for the'; natural j pride of a parent iii: a promising ehild^ . i wai,'in • comparison*:with, some in th« i' , ■ other • place, moderatei--ma'de; no '■ refor* '' ence to the major problem' of the func*: . . j tion;of ;the, Air Force 'in war. Bui ■ there has been much loose talk to th« ■•■':•'■ effect that'the next :war : will be a■" ' ;i war' in. the air, and .advocacy; '<':) v.J of the. creation ": in "war oflran inde^ ■ pendent air. foree^ which'can'devot^' ,'; I itself to independent; attack upon th» J nerve centres of- the -enemy. - ■. : ; 5 V:'^\ TO^TOEAK'Hi^;wni.;' ', '^\:^ :^\ ; The'object/of such' attack, however i| / j may be disguisedas attack upon placed: . j which are of military importance td th«(l- .- I enemy, is to break his .will- by attßC^ : 1 upon his population. Navy.an^.; ■:] the Army; propose to concentrate thei^ 5 .-:';■•, j efforts upon?the enemy?s armed.force* -: 1' j and to act; effectively - th6y: need thf'; i';] fullest co-operation from the Air Forca« : * ':! .}' Here is clearly,:* jiiyergence of aimf ■ ,■;.':■■ to' adjust which policy - must step . ia^-}';; : ;,'■ As Lord: Thomson.-said in ih» JjOtia^.J / the only: effective' defence in air iwar* "■■ ■'■:' VJi fare is by reprisal. Our crowded island' | is more exposed. to air; attack., than it '•■;. r ■.•;.:, any other . country in t the world, an^ /V> it would seem to be/in..this highest de* ■;;; ': gre« improbable that any; British 6ov*° | ernment would initiate' a of;wai".":; , j fare which would lay, t ids ?6p'ea; to, re*'">'-; --.-S prisala.,.'. Beprisals to air ; attack eaai j only, be avoided; if?ourVair;;attack;i«i }'; ■; instantly and-completely successful, and •;. ■'■ ',j I much doubt whether Lord.Trenchard ; .''-;j or any other responsiblei j^ authoritjj •; ■'. .; f] would claim that our Boyal: AL: Forea; : .■ J would be so successful; against a serl* : iij ,ous enemy» '..:.77 ■''. y:i: :''-: ; ":;y'y>:' v. ''•:•.'-■■ .vj.'.' 'j'i -;: Is our; strategy) th6n, M comprise thflj : : ■;■ offensive action of ;ind<;pen<|en't ailj: / ;i forces or are thechief functionsof - ; thlj,/..": - ■"$ '.Air.--;ForeeitoV..prbvide-'for^the:;a'deqnat»/ V-:---vJ protection vof Great .'Britain //from ,ai^'' '■■;:,;''. attack, and tpco-bperate^with'the Navy) '•" j and! Army in; the defeat of the 'enemy'^:' '■:"■/>'! armed forces! ; These are • question^ :? ■ i Which must be; settled before we eafji' «■ V| consider tho distribution; arid' fnnetionfj'^ / v! of-the Boyal Air; Force in peace,. ';.'' :v ■-• >/ j ': '//:^ ;; -KbT:YEri>o^nM^T./'; ■ .: y.-.V;-^'] It is .evident' that: other; Powers dfl| v. ■':■. -j not consider that>their; air forces have(;-v •■■•^ yet reached- a stage, of r.dcvelopmenii-,''•'. .' ;i which'would"allow them;to; decideHhi*'-/-V..■„.] issue:of; war./..Francei :-with the largest 5,i air force,.- is this '■ year'speeding 170^ '-..; ; : i 000,000.francs on'a live-year programme,- /;! of iortiflcation of her eastern'vfrontieiy ' l;: ! j and' formidable ■■ works" of /defence; ar|: /4] in process of-construction. .The United- :'; States, the,third, air ,Power, Trifi na ' • :'•'■ opposing air'force: within' reach, has^/' - ~ spent eveii larger sums on the fortifica« ■■ ' tion of the Panama^Canal. ~Both hav^ ' '] their"hah'ds.'deeply,in their jocket^ :-l J in'slfpport'of theificonylcfion^that wal{^ • ,v| cannot yet be won in- theiair*.Vv '"XX ': .-•.■■■:-:.">-j Means- in/ peace: time 'being■'strictlji ; : : ; limited,by finance, the Eoyal Air Forcft;/- / / cannot at one .and the same tiinejpro*:'-'?i'.,--'--yide the Navy'and the Army with th«( ; ' //: eyes "they' need, -the offensive/and-de*"/ / fensive air power they require, defend /j this country, against air attack, furnish / '•'-) an independent air force for offence, //i '\ and uridwtako extensive police^duties'/ ■ / in; the outer parts of the. Empire.; The : // last is.clearly a secondarymatter, which V can only bo. dealt :with .^sely when: \i > the major ;problemsiof.pp^icy:'andstra-/-^ tegy-Haye",be'en' aolyo'S.^:■"/'"'''■■ -f :^ ".';■ :::? .>■://";■;.