THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 13, 1940
In Last War We Were Allies; In This Friends
BRITISH ARMY ESTIMATES
LONDON, TO-DAY.
INTRODUCING THE ARMY ESTIMATES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY, MR. OLIVER STANLEY, THE SECRETARY FOR WAR, SAID IT WOULD BE IMPROPER AND UNDESIR- ABLE FOR HIM TO ATTEMPT TO FORECAST IN WAR, AS HIS PREDECESSORS DID IN PEACE, WHAT TASK THE BRITISH ARMY MIGHT BE CALLED UPON TO FULFILL IN THE FUTURE.. Whatever it might be called upon to face the Army had not yet been subjected to the same inten- sive test as the Navy and Air Force.
Mr. Stanley referred to the decision taken last year to equip an army on the continental scale.
After recalling how the idea of a continental army hád been bitterly opposed in Britain, Mr. Stanley said the nature of the events which led up to Munich showed some of them that if a conflict was not absolutely inevit-it able, it was dangerously near, and showed that if a conflict had to come what the nature of the conflict was to be.
It was obvious that in any clash to come we should be fighting by the side of France in the cause of liberty and Justice.
Therefore the security of France would be bound up with the security and integrity of this country.
ARMY GROWING
Indian
The fine traditions of the Army were represented by the Indian troops in France and to a greater ex-
tent in the Near East, and the Austra- Ilan Imperial force and the New Zea- land special force "would be worthy successors of the Anzac Corps of the last war.
General Smuts had re-organised the Union defence forces with a view to
I.R.A. RAIDERS SENTENCED
Dublin, To-day. Twelve years' imprisonment each was Imposed yesterday on John Parnell, John Lyons and Joseph McDermott by the special criminal court on charges arising out of the I.R.A. ·rald, on the Phoenix Park magazine.—Rou-
tor.
ARMY
the defence of South Africa and South DEPENDENT
African interests in Africa.
Southern Rhodesia and the African
colonies had produced their own con-
tribution, while the Colonial Empire
as a whole had provided for their
own defence and thereby relieved the mother country from the necessity of doing so.
BRITAIN'S PART
ALLOWANCE
London, To-day.
י,
Mr. Stanley disclosed that a central advisory council on adult education had been All these were very substantial con-
established for the purpose He added: "The B.E.F. is in France tributions for which this country was of
best and the wisdom of the decision to send grateful. But the majority of
considering the there is not questioned. by anyone. personnel of the expanded army had
the methods for organizing some "Starting comparatively small our got to be provided from these islands, Sort of educational facilities army is rapidly growing. A great and it was to the Military Training for men in the forces in Bri- army is in process of formation, with Act that they would have to look in tain. which we shall progressively take the future for the main source of sup- a bigger and bigger part in the bur-ply of personnel for the Army. den of war from the shoulders of our Allies, the French, who in the early days of the war had to bear such a very great part of this bur. den." (Cheera).
Mr. Stanley added it was well to bear in mind that whereas the general decision to rearm was taken by this
an army on the present scale, with
It became clear that our resources in manpower and our great indus-country in 1936, the decision to equip trial strength demanded that we should produce an army on a scale sufficient to ensure our security and be worthy of our position as a great power. ›
OPENS FRIDAY: AT THE
KING'S
DARRYL F. ZANUCK'S · Production
THE RAINSS
Maynoo
by LOUIS BROMFIELD }
LOY Turons. POWER
Besada Joyce - Bi
„Joseph Schidiret
Marjorie Rambo
May Directed by
BRENT
BROWN
Berens::Pay by Philip Dunde and bulion
asses of modern equipment and am sitated, was only, taken a year ago. munition which modern warfare neces-
WEEKS OF SNOW
The expansion of the B.E.F. in France continued and the numbers of the British troops in France to-day were about double what they had been in October, and every day saw some increase in their strength.
Mr. Stanley said that when he recently visited France the troops had already experienced some six or se- ven weeks of continuous snow and
frost.
which
can
Referring to the scheme for depen- dants allowances, the War Minister It was to the general satisfaction replied to certain criticisms which that the country, had decided that aide by side with this new system, ticular the criticism against the pro- had been made against it and in par- on which other continental armies vision in the present scheme had always been raised, we should lays it down that allowances continue with our old system of
only be granted if voluntary recruiting, which had pro-incapable of self support. Although a dependant is duced some of the finest armles. the there was, said Mr. Stanley, theore- world had ever seen.
tical justification for this provision in About 200,000 volunteers had been so far as it was unnecessary, especi- enlisted since the beginning of war...
the ally in wartime, for the Government to support those who were capable of supporting themselves, nevertheless in practice this was not the case. and he had decided to waive
this condition in. future so far as depen- dant's allowances was concerned.
They hoped to provide the skilled men needed for the army's expansion without having to call on skilled men so urgently needed in civilian life.
AVERAGE AGE 25
Mr. Stanley announced the further At present the average age in the relaxation in the scheme by permitting infantry was 25 and that of other arms in future one-fifth of the earnings of over 26.
The age structure at the each member of a household, other moment was satisfactory and the stif-than dependant or dependant's hus- fening of older men was sufficient, but band or father, to be disregarded from it was a situation which required con- the household means test. Another re- stant watching, and if the further ex-laxation which had been decided was pansion of the army made any consi-that a dependant may in future ❘derable differences, it would be neces-receive an allowance from more than
sary to take special measures to obtain one member of the Services. a further stiffening of older men.
Mr. Stanley announced various im- provements in the scheme of depen- dents' allowances in order to meet criticisms.
MILD EPIDEMICS
Turning to the health of the British forces, the War Minister said it had been on the whole extremely good. There had been, however, two epi-
He visited a great part of the lines along which we were engaged In putting up defensive works and was struck by the amount of work accomplished and the amount of work nearly completed. Almost directly after his visit con- ditions improved and he had no doubt recent weeks had shown an increas-TERMINOLOGICAL correctituDE demies of mild forms of influenza and ed strengthening of our position.
"Wherever I went in all ranks was immensely struck with the re- lations between French and English in this war compared to the last. In the last war we were allies. In this war we are friends."
1
A.A, UNITS
I
Also, he sald, he had decided
to
German Measles, which had now great-
substitute for the term "unmarried } ly diminished. Mr. Stanley stated the pneumonia was, wife" the words suggested by the mortality rate from Archbishop of Canterbury, "unmar- however, lower in January, during the ried dependent living as a wife."
epidemle of influenza, than it was in In general the changes in the de-five years between 1932 and 1936. pendents' allowances scheme would apply equally to the Navy, Marines
Speaking for the Opposition, '; Mr. Lees Smith said he recognised the im- portance of the War Minister's" an-
Turning to the army at home, Mr. and Air Force. Stanley said that in the anti-aircraft Mr. Stanley concluded by express-nouncements regarding alterations. In units thousands of men were moved] Ing confidence that the sons of those the scheme for dependants' allow | out even before the declaration of war'who were victorious 25 years ago the matter on Thursday on the report ances. The Opposition would go into
to their war stations, where they have would repeat their fathers' triumphs been ever since. They had had to live and added: "It is for us to avoid our stage of the Bill-British Wireless, in a constant condition of readiness mistakes."--Reuter, and, owing to the nature of their de- ployment, In conditions of extreme isolation and monotony...
Many thousands were on the same spot on which they had stood since:
· September.
All must pay tribute to the way in which the men engaged in anti-air- craft defence have stood this hard test
SMOOTHING OUT TANGLE
|(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Mr. Stanley said the country: ap- preciated that they had already re- ceived and would continue to receive Mr.
GS Washington, To-day. Ashton-Gwatkin and Prof.
very valuable assistance from the Do- | Charles Rist, the British and French minions, India and the Colonies.
MEMOANADIAN TROOPS VEZES Canadian troops had been in country nearly three months an now well advanced in their tr No-one could fail to impressed their physique, intelligence and ob vious keenness.
económié
erts entrusted with a long to the United States, terday, that their eding smoothly.“ remaining: tỏi be ntrol of and Trench ports.-- 1
AN OPENING FOR ITALY
London, To-day.
Commenting on Anglo-Italian trade negotiations, the "Manchester Guar dian" points out that, while the awk- ward coal dispute has been settled, Italy's note of protest, which raised greater issues than the stoppage of German coal, remains to be answered.
The paper points, out that the stop- page of German exports was forced on the Allies by the German Illegal me- thods of sea - warfare. In a trade agreement, Italy may now find some compensation for the losses which German illegality forced on her, Reuter.