BRITISH DEFENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20275, 18 August 1937, Page 7

BRITISH DEFENCE

INCREASE IN NAVY. C HEAVY PROGRAMME FOR 1938. L BIG INCREASE IN TONNAGE. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, August 16. A record amount of naval tonnage, ,t f °r a time of peace, namely, 664,000 I tons, will be under construction in Brf- d tain by [he end of the year. A heavy r d new programme for 1938 is contain - f plated. f This includes five 35.000-ton battle- t - ships, four 23.000-lon aircraft earo riers. one 22.000-ton aircraft carrier, a i right 10.000-ton cruisers, live 8000- d f n cruisers, seven 5300-fnn cruisers, - - I*so-ton super-destroyers, 2 1 - 1630-ton destroyers. IS 510-ton to 0 J 520-ton submarines, 12 sloops and 10 u motor torpedo-boats. s In spile of Hie demand for steel and s tiie -shortage of skilled labour, tiie pro- .b gramme is proceeding without a hitch, h In addition, a further construction t' programme of three to live battleships, six or seven cruisers, and proportion- i* ate quota of destroyers, submarines t 1 and smaller craft is anticipated, ar- t< cording to Mr Hector Bywater, writ- n ing in tiie Daily Telegraph. Tiie personnel may al-so be increased | S to at least 125.000. Besides manning < Ihe new ships, the Admiralty now has h the sole responsibility 0 f the rapidly- v expanding fleet air arm. In the next C five years lho number of ship-borne o aircraft will increase from 230 to 550. RECRUITS FOR THE ARMY. \ A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. t ■ IMPROVEMENT OF CONDITIONS. U Uni led Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, August 16. Opinions are divided on the proposal U to attract recruits to tho Army by D giving them lunger and continuous | a service until the - age of -10 or there- j V abouts, with a pension on discharge. j Field-Marshal Lord Milne says': “It IN appears to me to he merely a pallia- j n live. i| reminds the’ Latin tag K k ‘ The mountain is in labour and is K about to bring forth an absurd mouse'.’ b I don't think that the modern and rr q comparatively wcll-educaicd young : , r m,'in will be induced to enter the Army rr 3 until he is offered a well-paid pro- ! £ l’ession, giving him a life' career anil : v e a proper pension.” Brigadier-General Crozlcr says: “I ri s think that, on the whole, the scheme ' is very good. If you must have an s j army, you must run it on those lines, L The' next step would be for the Sec- , j c rotary for War to consider an Empire j j l . Army, which would serve onlv in tiie j 11 colonies.”