EMPIRE DEFENCES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 82, 4 October 1938, Page 11

EMPIRE DEFENCES

SOME MISGIVINGS

CONFERENCE VIEWS

MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

The fact that a number of the delegates to the British Commonwealth Relations Conference were not satisfied that Empire defence* ! were yet adequate for present-day requirements was mentioned by the Marquess of Lothian, leader of the United Kingdom delegation to the conference, who arrived at Wellington today by the Maunganui. Lord Lothian said that the question of Empire defences was discussed by the conference and naturally, in view of present world relationships, was regarded as being of considerable importance- The opinion was expressed by one leading British naval authority that Australia and New Zealand should, between them, maintain at least one first-class capital ship as, in the event of an attack by a major naval power, naval vessels of smaller armament would be very gravely handicapped.

Referring to defences in England, Lord Lothian said that he understood that the balloon barrage scheme which formed a large part of the air defence of London was weE advanced. • Itt object was to force attacking aircraft to a great height and so minimise the possibility of direct hits being scored on specific targets. It was extremely doubtful whether any form of antiaircraft defence so far devised could prevent attacks by hostile aircraft, but it could largely minimise their ef* fects. It was extremely difficult for. aircraft travelling at over 200 miles an hour and at a height of 12,000 feet to destroy specific targets and if the anti-aircraft defences could bring down even 5 per cent, of \he raiders, It was considered that they would do a great deal to^ check attacks.

Lord Lothian mentioned that owing to the gravity of the international crisis last week he had been on the point of cancelling his visit to New Zealand and returning to England, but in view of the improvement in the situation, he had now decided, to continue his tour. He proposes leaving New Zealand again on October 14 and flying back to England from Sydney. While he is in New Zealand he is anxious to see as much as possible of the primary industries of the country and with that object in view will visit agricultural areas. He does not propose making any official report upon his observations but is interested hi agricultural matters from a personal point of view. He also proposes, as far as possible, to make some study of the methods of government in the Dominion.

RAPID TRAVEL IN AUSTRALIA. His Lordship, said that he had not had a great deal of opportunity of studying conditions in Australia as he had travelled 7000 miles by air and motored 1200 miles in three weeks. In the course of his tour he had visited all the Australian capitals and he had formed the impression that Australia was a country of tremendous, possibilities.

Referring to the British Commonwealth Relations Conference, Lord Lothian said that he was satisfied that it would have most valuable results. The interchange of views between the various delegations had been most frank and would be extremely helpful.

It was the consensus of opinion that the British Empire was the only association of nations in the world today which really approached the

ideal of a League of Nations,

Naturally the individual units of the Empire Commonwealth had their own problems which they were endeavouring to solve as part of the Empire family.

Asked whether he agreed with the comment made by one of the NewZealand delegates, Mr. Frank Miiaer, who had criticised the amount oi verbiage at the conference, Lord Lothian said that conferences were usually marked by some verbiage. He knew nothing of Mr.* Milner's viev^s, but he thought that verbiage had been largely controlled by the limit of three minutes imposed upon each