BRITISH ARMY

Hokitika Guardian, 16 November 1929, Page 5

BRITISH ARMY

CIVIL STAFFS STILL TOO LARGE

(United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) '

LONDON, Nov. 14,

In the House of Lords, Lord Middleton called attention to the postwar reductions in the strength of the Army, and he asked if steps were ibeing taken to reduce the civil establishments of the War Office and the Admiralty. He pointed out that the Army was now below tho .1805 level. He said that obligations of the Empire could not be discharged by the mere study of protocols at a Peace Conference. He pointed out that despite the reductions in the Army and the Navy, the War Office and Admiralty staffs had increased.

Lord Allenby said: Tt is better that we should be prepared to meet disagreeable and unexpected happenings than to be forced to improvise means of defence at the last moment. The events in Palestine have emphasised the danger of optimism leading to undue reductions. In view of our mandates in Palestine and Iraq, we must leave adequate forces there. Lord de la Warr replied: The previous Government was responsible for trie reduction in the Armv, and for the changes in the material and technical requirements. He said that comparisons between the present and prewar costs were useless. For instance, the mechanisation of the Army alone Ufifi P nst- two millions sterling. The War Office expenditure had gradually declined since 1923. The Government was determined to investigate every possible means of saving. Lord Fitzalan and Lord Salisbury expressed the opinion that Army reduction had gone as far as it could go with safety. -