ARMY ESTIMATES

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1930, Page 5

ARMY ESTIMATES

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received this day at 12.25. p.m.) R, UGLY, March 24.

In the Commons, Mr Shaw, Secretary for War introduced tlie Army Estimates. Fie said they amounted to forty million five hundred thousand showing a nett reduction otf £605,000. The clecerase in expenditure was £1,343,000 but this was largely count-er-balanced by the diminution in receipts of £733,000. More than half the latter were accounted for by the loss to receipts to the Army funds from Germany through the evacuation of the Rhine. This loss in a full year would amount to £950,000.

The actual number of the forces exclusive of India, was estimated at 148,900 compared with 641,000 in 1921.

In regard to the sixty thousand n.er of the British army in India Mr Shaw pointed out that actually there was one British soldier for every five thousand of the native population. He was afraid there were somewhat exaggerated opinions regarding tin number of white troops in India. LONDON, March 24. Air MacDonald, replying to a question by Mr Angell, said the Government had neither contemplated or discussed any abatement of the obligations under the Covenant of the League or Treaty of Locarno. ..

Air AVedgewood asked, has the Government discussed any increase of those obligations.

Mr MacDonald asked for notice as lie had not prepared answers which were sometimes crudely given. Mr Worthington Evans, following Mr Shaw’s presentation of the Army Estimates, said the army recruiting problem was most serious. They were ten thousand men short at home and four thousand short in India. He believed the main causes were the expectation of a large increase in unemployment benefit and general disarmament talk. “We might sometime have to consider whether a man can be treated as unemployed, when the State is ready to employ him as a soldier or sailor.” (Labour dissent). He said, however, that legislative compulsion was out of the question. If they could not compel, they must attract. Probably the real reason of the falling off of recruiting was the uncertainty as to ex-soldiers’ future. They must, somehow train soldiers for a career after leaving the army. During their tservice they should either be taught a trade or given a secondary or university education for a higher position, when they left the army. Mr Cave moved, declaring all warlike expenditure wasteful, and calling on the Government to realise the police of disarmament.

Mr Brown seconded the motion and said Mi' MacDonald had demanded risks should be taken in the cause of peace. The Army estimates bad only taken one per cent of the risk. Mi- Shiowell vigorously attacked the back benchers for supporting an acad•vnic. police which was not practical. The political Labour Party’s policy was disarmament by international agreement, not by theatrical, foolish gestures.

Mr Manden said the Government must press forward Geneva’s call on all Government’s to honour their disarmament pledges. Dir Cave’s amendment was defeated l>v 274 to 21.