AIR ARMAMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 March 1923, Page 4

AIR ARMAMENTS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON. March 21. Lord Birkenhead, speaking in the House of Lords, assured the House Hint from private information which he "ad received, the reports of the (,'erni"" air preparations had been greatly xaggerated. and that no German air menace existed at the moment. Lord Sutherland, in replying, -aid 'hat ii the British Committee of Imperial Defence, now reviewing the 'hole subject. held the view that the •ircunislnnei's warranted a larger air torce. it was quite po-sihlc that a large force would lie raised. laird Haldane said that he did not believe that the people of France dreamed of hostilities against Britain. •verthvle-s, just as before the war. they had had to maintain a strong navy against emergencies, so now they must mve a strong air force. LONDON, .March 22. i erd Birkenhead, in the House of Lords, drew attention to the relative air strength of Britain and France. Ho s-'id that tic Had.t (, r was of the utmost importance, involving national imperial security. The peace air establishment of Franco, lie said. was more than twice Britain’s. Britain had also underiaken a grave risk in re gard to her navy, she had not gained a ■card in th" direction d a European -ft (dement. Mi Sinclair, speaking ot: I ha At I - : i"at," in tli" lions- of Common-, -aid : ml il was impossible lo regard, wiih»uf disquietude the inlerionty of i’n-

] .i,n;ir) iqj :.i inni».'; j.i in lo.ior .m; ! European powers. Ho deplored the : slow awarliening of public opinion in | this matter. It was seriously to be ' considered wliat would happen if a ho~j tile air force obtained mastery of tbe ' ■ ir o- r their islands. Aviation bad reached a stage when they had to consider whether it would further neutral-

ly ’ sea power. Viscount Grey stated in the Mouse of Lords that he was of opinion that I rein !> and Urit i-h security in the lone run were both dependent on the maintenance of an Anglo-French friendship. He feared that they were now on tin* brink of a new armament race in the matter of air power, that was unless a sense of general security could be produced in Europe. This would only he in hiev;:b! * l>y making; th * of Naiuns -muiv comprehensive. .strung'T.

and more real. Lord Salisbury a-sured the Hons that tbe tlov.rnment was fully alive t' the important eof the suhiecl on tin whole (|iiestion of the British nit

strength and safety. London was In iim considered very seriously. T'he discussion then ended.