The Times THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1937. Unpreparedness

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 29, 4 February 1937, Page 6

The Times THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1937. Unpreparedness

The British Navy had been so far reduced that eminent naval authorities did not consider that if war were to come it would be sufficient even to maintain Britain’s communications and thereby the food of the nation, said Lord ltochdale at a recruiting meeting. The Territorial Forces in 1914 were double what they were now. “As regards the Royal Air Force,” he continued, “when 1 say it is definitely inferior to that of Russia and Germany I am understanding the facts. There had been a tremendous campaign all over the country against recruiting. “ There were a great number of people who placed their confidence in the League of Nations, and thought that they were helping the League by preventing people from joining the forces. They neglected to observe that if the League were to be of use it was necessary that individual members should be able to pull their weight, and by force of their armies enforce the decisions of the League. “ You all know now that the League of Nations in the matter of collective security is of no value whatsoever. It cannot make a war; it cannot stop a war; it cannot purfish an aggressor against a decision of the League of Nations. All the nations of the world know perfectly well that we are unprepared to meet the attacks of any aggressor. After all, the British Empire is the most desirable object for the cupidity of any aggressor. In the event of war we should not have three years in which to prepare—we should have three minutes.”