AIR MASTERY

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 12 March 1927, Page 5

AIR MASTERY

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iteceiveU Friday 9.45 p.m. ■ t t LONDON, March 11. In the Iiouse of Gommons Sir bamuel Hoare, in presenting the Air Force Estimates pointed out that they provided for a 10 pcr cent. inciease xn the personnel of the Air Force aud a 3 per cent. reduction ra the cost, but reduction in expenditure had nqj, Sacrificed the vote or ne\y jiaterial, scientific and tectinxq^i and research. For the iirst Estimates properly empha^rsecl the supreme importance of an Imperial air policy the foundations of which were. laid at the lm- i perxal Conference, South Africa) I East Africa and Soudan were cooperating in a flight across Africa irora Capetown to Cairo which would be the first of ihe long di§tan/ce fljghts carried out under a

systexn of Imperial co-operation. Air strategy and policy should be ilirected to the, organisation of Imperial air routes both for aeroplanes and airships which would permit the concentration of power in a period which would have been ineredibhj tr few years ago. Imperial co-ap^ration held out the hope of & reduction not an increase in defence expenditure. His own llight to India and back proved to the world the. x'eliability of the newer types of civil machines for swift, punctnal, regular, distant flights. Two airships were at present being constructed capable of transporting 'more than two hundred armed men, A qomplete squadron of aeroplanes of this type would enable concentrajion from one end of the Empire to the other in a fraction of the time at present taken to epncentrgte 011 a threatened point. In order to maintain the policy of niobility over a long distance, Empire flights would become a regular part of the training of air f ocre officers. It was also proposed to begin the preparation of landing. grounds for a flying route to Singapore, and send for the iirst tinie a fleet of flying boats. to the Far East, one of whose duties would be coopation with the Australian Air Force. Miss Lawrence moved that in view of the growing menace of competition it was. incmnbent thht the League of Nations should seek a common agreement to reduce the air forces. She said the Government ought to initiate proposals to \his end for the fort'licoming disarmament commissio.n Sir C. Sasoon replied that apart 'from the Government's desire to see the progress of a gtmeral disarmament they were sincerely anxious to see a limitation of air armaments but their attitude must be governed by the insistent need for adequately protecting ihe centre of the Empire. We could. not act alone, or take the initiative on a question of air disarmament. There must be a general movement hased' on a for.mula, accepted by other powers. Until then we must take adequate precautions for the safety of the civil population. The amendment was rejected by 112 to 65.