THE CHINA MAIL · SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1958
The big defence row-
is Sandys too rigid?
DUNCAN
M SANDY'S rigid up-
proach to the Services, is causing deep concern to an increasing section of Conser vative opinion in the House of Commons.
They ask in what direction is he leading the country? In what shape will our fghting services be recast if he has his way?
Incautious
The speeches of the Air Muc- shals which have caused such a hubbub were without doubt in- cautions. For, to enter the field of politics, to misquote Belloe. "is not the function of the night- Ing man." Nevertheless, one has
xympathy - considerable their views,
with
For there is being brought about in the fighting services a revolution which the public has Lot yet bezun to understand. The political history of the Mini- ster of Defence, Mr Duncan Sandys, promoter of this revolu tion, Is relevant to understand Ang it.
Thoroughness
Mr
it
Chosun by his father-in-law to rule over the Ministry Supply and bring about the denationalisation of steel. Sandyn applled hoself with terrible thoroughness to the lat ter lank, achieving his object will success
acclamation, but reducing his civil servants almost to desperation, and ap pearing to negert rumpletely the the other functions of Ministry of Supply.
tind
This gives us a clue to Mr Sandys's character, illustrating his application and dedication to one object which he takes of its context and subjugates and
uul
by LORD
LAMBTON
Tory MP for Berwick-on-Tweed..
PRUNELTE BLATLITERAL CLEAN OF SCELTERA (BY MARIE BEKELETALO
m.sslers,
Germanic
near-
There is a sign, however, that Mr Sandys's castle in Spain la beginning to crumble.
10
Mr George Ward, at the Air Ministry appears to have won a retention of the human element which Mr Sundys wished diminish. There is a growing realisation that conscriptien may nol after all be allowed to end In 1901.
Alarm
200
0
What this bodca for Mr while Ignoring all nuclear war and leaves us other considerations and effects, ly helpless against what will in Kandys it is difficult to tell. But to cause alarm This rigidity of approach op- all kellhood be the future Bur- what continues
to many is the rigidity of his pears to many to have certain
sian policy; the avoidance of a
mind, and his inability to direct nuclear clash and u con- drawbackca.
that his policy represents hardly centration of increasing distur-
the more than adding a bolt to annees the Far East, Middle East and Africa which don which the Americans have without a terrible risk, can only reedy chained and locked, and be met by conventional weapons. the virtual sacrifice of that mill-
Early this year
in tary strength which alone
to our Foreign Algeris. There, 360,000 French bring realism soldiers equipped with modern Polley.
London Exprosa Service). rms, and with the whole might of France behind them.
of subduing rding their tasks the rebel force, which has never 30,000 mes, been greater thon beyond them.
As a young man after leaving Oxford, he went to Germany to study the customs and character- One i istics of that country, inclined to wonder if this was the formative period of his life, for there is in nis love of detail, 12s over-simplification, his de- hiy single- votion to work, mindedness, more than an echo if the Junker spirit and the old German military tradition.
this
It is worth); considering the general lines upon which polley is based. Apparently he believes that our safety lies in the building up of weapons for Euclear retaliation and relying on them to prevent war, and at the same time, Jn. order to economise, he is prepared to ac- cept the gradual reduction of our conventional forces to a point which some consider dangerous- ty low.
irt
This policy, any his critics, is unrealistic, as the real deter- rent to Russia lies not In our atomic armament but the power of America, for we must much inevitably however money we spend-lag for behind them and Russia,
They also argue that it is a policy which only applies to a
WITH CHILDREN BACK AT SCHOOL AGAIN: A CLOSE LOOK AT THE TOPIC-OF- THE MOMENT IN A MILLION.
HOMES
Limited
1 Was
were
II Mr Gandys has his way the whole British Army will be re- Cuced in size to less than half of this French force, and with this limiled number, Britain will be expected during the coming years to have a policy in those areas where only conventiona) arms can be used,
1
ena
This I stress, for it must be remembered that unless this country has at its disposal certain power and force it have no authority, and It is one of the curtosities of the present situation that the Foreign Se- cretary should appear to. regard reduction with equanimity the of those forces which alone give any substance to his future policies,
Kin
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