THE NEEDS FOR AN ARMY.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1920, Page 2

THE NEEDS FOR AN ARMY.

AND BRITAIN’S PLIGHT. fAUSTRAMAN ifc N.Z. CAjll.M ASSfICIATiqN $ REUTER.J

i (Received tin's day at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Feb, 23. In discussing the increase of the Army 1 in Vle «' of the removal of the German menace, Hon. Mr Churchill thought it was idle to pretend that the prepared Army was proportionate to the .risk (Britain ran, or to her important role. On the other hand, the new serious responsibilities, both temporary and permanent, were placed on Britain as a result of the war; while the whole of the Eastern world was in a state of extreme disquiet, in addition to the temporary responsibilities on the Rhine and the plebiscitary portions ■ of Germany, at COnstaptinordo and in Egypt and North-West Persia. There were also two important permanent responsibilities. Palestine and Mesoptamii], where there were garrisons of HO,(XX), with 10,000 white and 13,000 Indians, compared with 17.000 white and 44,000 fndians before the war. . Both garrisons must be reduced if either place was to pay its way. Considering the burdens in the East, no relief could be expected until a real peace was made with Turkey. He trusted that having dispersed the Armies, we would not now take steps to drive the Turkish people fo despajr, or undertake new pbligations, -because oilr resources were not pqpal to thpir

discharge. Mr Churchill enumerated factors of uncertainty in the Middle East. For instance, thp Turkish reception of the Peace Treaty; the Bolshevik aggros-.-sion; the affect of the Milner Commission in Egypt, and the termination of responsibilities at Constantinople were mentioned; but it was decided to take an optimistic view, and provide for a reduction of the garrisons in the Middle East from 20,000 whites and 22,000 Indians to half their present strength. The Irish garrison would be 35,000, as

against 25,000 in pre-war times. Discussing the finance of the Estimates, which totalled £120,1)00,000, Mr Churchill pointed out the costs were two and a quarter times compared with before the war, and resulted in less war-power. Three or four years of detailed study would be needed to get the sam value.

Mr Churchill favoured a steady ini' crease in the Air Force at the expense of the Army and Navy, but only in proportion as the Air Force was able to discharge the day to day duties now performed by the Army and Navy. Instancing the possibilities of ail Air Force, the speaker drew attention to the Somaliland campaign, and proposed to apply the same principle to Mesopotamia, where aii Air Force would he

the principle agency of control, the military and navy acting as auxiliaries. Referring t° the development of the Tanks, Mp Churchill mentioned the development cabled earlier, adding that although tlie Tanks weighed thirty tons, the roads remained undamaged. Anti-Tank warfare had, also, profoundly advanced. A new grenade had been devised which would be discharged from an ordinary rifle, capable of inflicting mortal injury on a Tank.

BRITAIN’S PREPAREDNESS

(Received this day at 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 23. Mr Churchill in summarising the army system, emphasised the Territorial would bo the normal means of exof the British forces for any supreme emergency such as in August 1914. Britain would be able to provide / a complete cavalry division and six divisions of regulars immediately, and in the course of the next few months, one Yeomanry division and fourteen divisions of terirtorials complete, with equipment and a reserve behind. These would be cadets, capable of calling into j bj,‘ing a further- twenty divisions. Jt ! fK'*‘""is proposed to reduce the garrisons in the Middle. East to the barest minimum compatible with security, and sending I reinforcements from Home or India in I the event of emergency. I Mr Churchill alluded to the fact that I the Dominions contemplated rcproduc-1 ing the number of divisions from the I present. It was very fine military ma. I terial, but the adjustment of our rela- I

tions with them would be undertaken in the future months. If the schemesucceeded, Britain would have for some years, a. large latent reserve of trained manhood, and ample war - materials. Germany could not become a formidable military nation for a number of years, while France and Belgium which were organising large military forces, were bound to Britain by ties of friend- i ship and interest, which, probably, would he embodied in the military arrangements. Therefore, temporarily, I there was no eminent danger of Western Europe, but the time might come I when a review of the military strength I Germany, or Germany and Russia com- I bined, might necessitate a. drastic re- I

vision of the arrangement. In concluding Mr Churchill re-empha-sised the fact that Britain alone amongst the other 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 the duties to the Empire, and should a • great emergency arise, we must trust the rteet and our Air Force to give us time to bring in the might—the irresistible might as has been proved—of Britain into the aJJ J )

CONSCRIPTION. MR CHURCHILL EXPLAINS. (Received this day at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, February 23. In the Commons Mr Churchill in introducing the Army estimates emphasised that conscription would terminate in March. He claimed Britain created in a. single year what was broadly a pre-war regular army, and also organised additional troops to discharge temporary and new liabilities. He mentioned the British delegates fought, at the Peace Conference for the abolition of conscription, but the only response came from Germany under dire compulsion. (Laughter). AH the 4' other States retained the compulsory service, including United States, the priginator of tile League of Nations, i and Russia the home of advanced political thought. (Cheers and laughter). | Nevertheless Britain had returned to j the voluntary system and would have 69! 30th April 220,000 white troops, compared with 173,000 before the war, also during the greater part of the year 109,000 Indians.

' MILITARISM AND LABOR. (Received Tliis Day at 11.20. a.m.) LONDON, February 23. ** During the debate in tbo Commons, Mr Spoor, a Labour Member, said the Government’s policy regarding the Army as revealed in Mr Churchill s speech, was a, terrible disappointment .. to the Labour party.