HOW BRITAIN HAS DISARMED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 203, 16 November 1927, Page 9

HOW BRITAIN HAS DISARMED

STRIKING FIGURES QUOTED OTHER EUROPEAN NATIONS FAR BEHIND’’

British "Wireless — Press Assn.—Copyright Received 12.8 p.m. RUGBY, Tuesday. CIR SAMUEL HOARE, Minister for Air, speaking last U night referred to Field-Marshal Sir William Robertson’s recent striking condemnation of war, and welcomed the tact that so many men of different schools of thought and upbringing were devoting their minds to a means for preventing future wars. ’

J-JL urged that in the Empire, the | progress of the subject should be ! kept above party politics, and declared the determination of the Government jl° advance the idea of armament limitation and to do everythnig posi sible to enlist the support of other I nations. - Sir Samuel Hoare gave striking figures, comparing Britain’s present forces with those before the war. In August. 1914, Great Britain had 44 battleships; in July, 1927, that number had been reduced to 12. In August, 1914, she had 80 cruisers; she had now 37. In August, 1914, she had 183 destroyers; she had now 89. The number of men and officers in the Navy just before the war was 145,600, whereas last year, on the last date for which figures were available, that number was reduced to 100,700. In 1914 there were 174,500 officers and men in the Army, and last year that number had been reduced to 151,100. Taking all the three services together, in 1914 the combined services of the British fighting forces was approximately 320,000 and last year, even including about 30,000 officers and men in the new force, the number had been reduced to 284,000. end of the war Britain had the greatest force in the world, but it was reduced to a strength so insignificant that all three political parties considered that the country’s defences needed strengthening. To-day Great Britain had 750 firstline airplanes, but the strength of the greatest air power in Europe—and he could make the comparison without fear of being misunderstood, for happily Britain was on the best of terms with France—was 1,350 first-line machines. Without desiring to judge other countries, Sir Samuel Hoare cited figures showing Britain to have gone far beyond the other European nations in reducing armaments, while her policy had invariably been directed to promoting peace.—A. and N.Z.

made by the well-known writer, Mr. H. G. Wells, that the Government was heading straight for war. The “Evening Standard” advises Mr. Churchill that, instead of venting his anger on Mr. Wells, he should “turn his mind to serious facts, which, in spite o l the optimism of the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, are disquieting to great numbers of thoughtful people outside the limits of party politics, it cannot be denied that Britain is nearer a collision with Russia to-day than she ■was four years, or even one year, ago. So long as Britain and Russia are without regular means of discussing their differences, the danger of a collision will always be present.” The “Morning Post” defends the Government’s policy toward Russia. It says: "With the best will in the world, it is most difficult for a whale and an elephant to coma to grips. However, there is one comforting consideration. The nations of Europe have had such a sickening of war that wild horses would not drag them into another Armageddon.” SECRET WAR PLANES The papers announce that French air experts say secret war airplanes are being constructed by all the nations of Europe. The experts 3ay that Italy is building airplanes with 12 motors, which will be capable of carrying 100 soldiers. Germany is constructing, to the design of Herr Hugo Eckner, a giant Zeppelin, which will carry no fuel, but will be capable ®f burning gas, with which its bags will be tilled. Its cruising range will be between Berlin and Los Angeles. France is also actively engaged in building secret monoplanes, with the engines and fuel and passengers carried in the wings.—A. and N.Z.