HOME & OVERSEA DEFENCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 29, 18 February 1937, Page 5

HOME & OVERSEA DEFENCE

-PreBs AeBii. -

Inct-edtO in Personnel ond Equipment BRIT1SH INTENTlONS

(By Teiegriph-

-rJopyriEht.)

(Received 18, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 16. The White Paper on defence states that heavy naval expenditure must bo incurred in the next few years to brihg tbe navy up to tbe strength Jiecessary for it to perform its functions. A considefable iiumbfer of tbe existing sbips are already,. or will shortly becdme, oyer-age, and only three of tbe lS capital .sbips are of post-war cbnstr'uction. Tb'e iuavy's average cost froiri 1931 to 1934 was un"4ef £l2,0()0,bOO, bbl for 1936 it \Vould be nearly £Sb,bCO.O(X) ahd in 1937 subslaiitially higber. Pfelimiiiafy sieps .were bfeiiigi taken to ordfet. three bapiial sbips, eacb cbstMg £8}60O,00Cl in the tiext linabcial y'ear? and also seven cruisers, aiid additionai aircraft carriers. BeaVy cost wai bls'o involved in inodertt&ibg existibg veisels, inclu'ding iiniprdved hntiaircraft defence and the modernisbtibn of dpckylirds abd otfier b&vai establisbmehfe. Tb'ere wbtild aino be a big ii»; crebse ih tbe iiavy'i pefsbiinel. No elfort woxild be spared to bfing the air force up tb tbe level deenied requisite fof safety. Tb© personnel bad riseii from 31,090 in 1934 to ovtsf 50,000 in 1936. A furtber large increase was cohteinplated, also tbe acquisition of a large number of iiew aerodromes and the provision of new training stations at bome and abroad. Tbe defence of ovefSbas baees trould also require additibns to meet tbe fnfetiace of an attack by air. increased protection wbuld be providfed for importdnt ports abroad in the forih of ahtiai^raft batteries and searchlights. The modeynisatioii of cbast defences at bopie and abroad Would also involve considerabie expenditure. . \Vhile army recruiting had shown a sligbt improvement measurea wer« being adopted to make the service more altractiye, inyolving a considerable increase in mamteuance costs. Two neW infantfy battalions would be raised shortly and also new tauk battaiions. , Tbe boine defence programme incliides ipore emcient anti-airoraft measures. JiJ"eW and inore effective guus are b'eing inanufactured, and also large niimber "of s'e^rcblights and baUoons fdr barrhges. Tbe object is to ensure tbat tbe air defence organisation will be readily adaptable to meet wbatever type of air attack ihe tJnitecL Kingdoxp niigbt be called upon to i'ace. Fire risk from incendiary bombs is a pf'oblem beyond tbe cajpaciiy of the norhial peatce-time fire brig'ades, and arrangefbents are plauiied to accumulate ad'ditional £re-figbting appliances. Steps are beiiig taken to ensure tbat natidtiai establisbiiients aiid industries vital to defence ar© not pafalysed bv a shbi-tage of raw m'aterials ,