COST OF ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1920, Page 5

COST OF ARMY.

POLICY IN MESOPOTAMIA, BRITAIN'S RULE FOR PEACE, By TeleiMPh.—Pmss Received June 25, 5.5 p.m. London, June 23. On the vote for £10,000,000 'on account of the army, Mr. Asquith moved a reduction by £1,000,000. Be complained that of a standing army of 338,000 there were 167,000 employed outside the Empire. Mr. Asquith again urged the withdrawal of the army from Mesopotamia. He considered it totally inconsistent with, if not a fundamental violation of the principle of. the League of Nations Covenant that the considerations of oil and cotton should determine the policy of the Government. Britain had no ( legal footing in Mesopotamia. CIVIL WAR AVERTED. Mr. Lloyd George strongly denied any change in the Government's intentions regarding Mesopotamia. If the British had cleared out of Mesopotamia there would have been civil war, and then when the League of Nations made Britain the mandatory Power she would have bad to organise another expedition costing £ 150,000,000 to £200,000,000 to reconquer the country. Regarding oil, he declared that no arrangements had been made with private cr.mpnnies. The whole oil property at Mosul belonged to the Arab State, subject to pre-war arrangements with Turkey. Because it was necessary to safeguard the interests of Americans it was essential for the Arabs to have the ! oil deposits of Mosul for the developI ment of Mesopotamia. RESPONSIBILITY OP MANDATE. •Mr. Lloyd George added that the civic administrations of Palestine and Mesopotamia were both paying their J way, and he repudiated the idea that the League of Nations might decide who would be the mandatories thereunder. The League might possibly hand them over even to Germany, a country J which had cost us hundreds of millions Of pounds; but the League could reconsider the mandate if the terms were abused, or if the natives were oppressed. It was proposed to take the views of the leaders of the Arab population ! respecting the best methods of establish- ! ing a Government. As goon as the new Government was established the expenditure Would decrease, and the military forces would become negligible. A HEAVY BURDEN. Dealing with the question of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus; Mr. k Lloyd George said Britain was undertaking more than anticipated. He believed that France and.ltaly would be able to contribute an equal" share in the course of time. He believed it was impossible to make peace in Mesopotamia, or in that part of the world, unless we made it clear that our policy must be carried through, namely, releasing the non-Turkish populations from the Turkish sway. We were Working our way out of the difficulties, but we must keep steady, and not one farthing would be spent except to carry out this mission. Mr, Asquith's motion was defeated by 285 votes to 50.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.