IAN HAMILTON

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1929, Page 5

IAN HAMILTON

ON EMPIRE S FUTURE

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright),

LONDON, March 13

‘'The nation wants to do its bit in ushering, in the millenium. No fairminded mam can doubt.'considering the unexampled extent of the responsibilities of the Empire that we have succeeded further than other allies,” said Sir lan Hamilton at tin* Mayfair Hotel. “ The Imperial f forces are being cut down to the hone. We have surren derod our claim to the mastery of the waves. We have cut down the Army expenditure in seven years by 22 millions. Aerially, counting heads and machines, we are a filth-rate power. Consequently we are gambling heavily on our neighbours! good faith and good behaviour of our fellow citizens iu the Near East and the Middle East, but the cutting down of the Naval and Army estimates and the starving oi the Air Force has not so far damaged the true basis of our imperial strength, which is the. spirit of our officers and men. Instead of being discouraged, they have faced willingly their task—the task of raising what has been left them to a considerably higher standard of lire manoeuvre than the numerically more powerful forces formerly possessed. Therein lies the best hope for Western civilisation’s salvation, even if the Leagues and Pacts based on human frailty finally break down. Hie Providence’s hand now points out. that our future lies in tanks and aeroplanes. Bovs must now hn\e the, chance of running away to the air, as Lord Reading, and Mr Masefield and others ran away to sea. The air hinds the empire more closely than the sea.