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CO-ORDINATION OF EMPIRE DEFENCE
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF UNITED CONTROL
By SIR C. W. GWYNN, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. OR the second time a debate in recommendations to the Govern
discuss the co-ordination of the Defence Services, and the possi bility of establishing some form of Defence Ministry, resulted merely In a debate on our Immediate Defence policy. Nevertheless, the
ledge of all material facta.
ren
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1935.
This recapitulation shows that the Government cannot be accused of hurried decisions, of keeping its own membera in the dark, or of neglecting to consult or co-ordinate
debate gave Mr. Baldwin an op-expert opinion. On the whole, one portunity of throwing light on the Ands it a reassuring picture, and processes by which our Defence
ono may note with satisfaction the policy is formed, and especially on
Influence now exercised by the
the part played by the Committee CLD. In forming Defence policy of Imperial Defence (C.I.D.). He in addition to the Invaluable ser- also indicated that the Government vice it performed in the pre-War were seriously considering whether
perlod by bringing Into Defence the appointment of a Defence Minister to co-ordinate Defence the control of individual Service preparations organisations outside
measures would be of service, and Invited suggestions.
Broadly speaking. there arc three schools of thought on the subject:
Departments.
OVER-ELABORATE
over-
The criticism may perhaps be made that procedure was elaborate and cumbrous, and that it reveals a machinery which would
(a) That existing arrangementa are adequate and are designed to place responsibility for co-ordinat-not adapt itself to the actual con
duct of war, however well it func- ing National Defence directly on
isions in the study of Defence pre- the Prime Minister and
Although, therefore, Cabinet. That the appointment of parations,
a Defence Minister is, therefore, we can congratulate ourselves on unnecessary, and would not con-improvements made since the pre- form to the spirit of the Constitu-War period, have we yet resched a stage at which we should be wise tion.
to leave well alone? That, I take (b) That the existing system It, is what Mr. Baldwin meant theoretically assigns to the Prime when he invited discussion on the Minister a task to which, with his many other preoccupations, he question whether the appointment cannot in practice give continuous of a Minister solely responsible for or suflicient attention. That the the co-ordination system can in consequence be made policy would be of service. to work satisfactorily only by employing an understudy
of a
Defence
to thei The arguments in favour of such Prime Minister, who becomes while a course appear to be strong, for so employed a close approach to we should, I think, realise that the
It is held a Minister of Defence. that these conditions should be Government, when faced with the recognised by the definite appoint- necessity of revising their Defence ment of a Defence Minister con-policy, were
tinuously occupied with the
fortunate In being co-able to draw on the experience of ordination of the whole machinery those who either in a positive or of Defence machinery which is negative sense, had to an unusual widely distributed through all the State Departments and in every degree been concerned in Defence branch of national activity. Such problems. The
Prime Minister,
the
Dis-
a Minister to have advisory rather Mr. Baldwin himself, and than executive functions,
Ministerial Committee
On
armament were going over' " (c) The third school advocates the amalgamation of the three familiar course in a reverse direc-
Defence Departments inta
one tion.
great Ministry of Defence in order)
to secure unity of control not only
Under normal conditions Minis-
in the co-ordination of Defence terial minds are apt to be absor measures in peace, but to secure fed in domestic politics to the detri unity of executive control in warment of their interest in Defence and in framing war plans.
EDGE OF RISK
matters, and Ministers cannot count for ever on having the ser- vices of a coach with Sir Maurice Mr. Baldwin's description of the Hankey's wealth of experience. stages by which the Government. The appointment of a Defence having realised that the negative Minister to carry out the duty of Defence policy of unilateral dis- armament had brought the Empire supervising the activities of the to the "edge of risk," were forced C.I.D. in co-ordinating the policy
to form a positive policy in order of the Fighting Services and in
to make good lust ground and to organising the nation as a whole meet a threatening situation is worth recapitulating, as it shows a Defence hasis would provide on whom final that valuable additions have been the Government, made to the machinery at the dia- decisions rest, with a Ministerial posal of the Government since Adviser who had studied Defence pre-War days.
problems continuously and as a First came the warning from the whole. That this would facilitate from and expedite decision in times of Foreign Office that, far following our lead in disarmament, crisis can hardly be doubted. The other
nations were rearming.appointment would niso give a Secondly, in the light of this measure of permanence to the best
the condition of warning, crvices was reviewed by features of the present somewhat fortuitous arrangements, which the Chiefs of the Staff Sub-Com- mittee of the C.I.D. in their annual have passed a fairly satisfactory report, which dealt with the de-test. Aciencies resulting from the Dis-
I suppose that Mr. Baldwin's in- armament policy. Here we should note a new and valuable machine Vitation Jenves open to discussion at work, which ensures
ambitious project the the more systematic examination of the amalgamating, the Service Depart- into n sluglo Defence whole defence situation by the ex-ments pert heads of the three Services na Ministry, but I did not understand opposed to the pre-War methods, him to mean that the Government which lacked co-ordination. Third-contemplated such
of
A course, for
ly came the examination of the which at the moment we certainly Chiefs of the Staff's report by the re parent body of the C.I.D.
•
weaknesses.
human
not ready. and which, if hurriedly adopted, would lead to dangerous confusion. Even if amalgamation were ever consider. Then, on the advice of the C.I.D., ed practicable, an immense amount the Government called for a detail of preliminary detailed investiga- ed, report from an ad hoc subtion and training of personnel committee of the C.I.D., formed by would obviously be necessary. As the Chiefs of the Staff, represent an ideal it is not without its 'at- tives of the Treasury and Foreign traction, but many ideals are un- Office, and the Secretary of the attainable owing to the limitations C.I.D., thus obtaining a review of of human capacity and the situation in its military, finnn- gial, and diplomatic aspects. This, Incidentally, furnishes an examplo of the elasticity of the C.I.D. constitution. Finally, we see the When one considers that, in the report of this sub-committee re-existing organisation of the Fight- vlowed exhaustively by a Minising Services, it is by no means terial Committee which had been easy to ensure that the commanders appointed to study the Disarma. and stats, In whom control is ment question, and which was com-vested, should possess pracijcal and posed mainly of the Ministerial up-to-date knowledge of the work inembers of the C.L.D., and pre-of the forces they direct-n dif- -sided over by the Prime Minister flculty which is always a source of -or Mr. Baldwin. From its com- { friction—how much greater would position this Committee apprench-be the difficulty if uniflod, control edits task of - making -- definite of the Services were, pushed to
POINTS OF FRICTION
Dante might have wondered whether this great aperture lead to a new Inferno. Actually it is one of the funuela of the giant liner Normandie.
These children of Hungary swear by bicycles, and their luxuries are the picturesque clothes they are wearing.
RHODESIAN FANATICS
SECRET SECT IN MINE STRIKE
FOMENTING
UNREST
Johannesburg, May 30. Several hundred troops and police are now concentrated in tho iroubled aren of the Northern Rhodesian copper mines, where at noon to-day it was reported that (all was quiet, although thousands
of natives are still on strike.
All day trains with more troops and special police have been pass- Ing northwards, while Air Force troop enrriers are "taxi-ing" from Salisbury to Ndole transporting
more men,
Hitherto, the unrest has been confined to apasmodic attacks on Isolated buildings and the atoning of Europeans and oversetting of lorries and motor-cara in the Luanshya area. In one instance a mob attacked a mine power house and tried to smash the ma- chinery, but the European staff kept off the raiders until the building could be surrounded with a live electric cable, about which the natives knew enough to re- spect it.
The authorities view the trouble gravely, as it is known to be con- nected with the notorious "Watch- tower," a secret sect of religious fanatics who for many years have sown dissension among Rhodesian natives. They Were originally connected with the Watchtower movement in America but broke away and adopted doctrines of their own.
SELF-STYLED SAVIOUR
The year 1925 culminated in the Mwanalesa horrors when Mwana lean, an unemployed native who styled himself Africa's saviour, and prenched advice to drive out the Whites and seize Africa for the Africans, was responsible for 178 murders before he was cap tared and semi-publicly executed in Broken Hill Gaol.
Again in 1932 a native was son- tenced to six months' imprison- ment at Lusakis for preaching op- pression by the Whites, and tell- ing his congregations that Ameri- can Negroes were coming over to free their brethren and slay all Europeans.
During the present trouble the police have arrested a native at Luanshyn in similar circum- stances, and it is known that the countryside has been broadcast with pamphlets advocating the same doctrines.
the
It is fertile ground for "Watchtower" propaganda, for all- natives over a Vist aren, where they are still semi-savage, firmly believe that Mwanalesa will re- turn one day and lead them to freedom, and thus it is easy to arouse a fanatical mob who are liable to cause serious trouble un- |less quickly suppressed.
strike has
The Rhodesian since been settled.-Ed.)
bur
appointed, should be assisted in his task of co-ordination by placing under him a Joint Planning Com- mittee, which would allot to the Service Departments matters to be worked out in detail, is also worth consideration as a development of our present system. extremes; and how many points of Ministers in charge of the sepárate Whatever modification of
Service Departments cannot be present organisation may be adopt- friction would develop,
Let us improve on our present free from bins is obvious, and toled, It is to be hoped that the ne system if we can--and the appoint-have a Minister who would come sociation between the Government ment of a Minister of Defence in personal contact with the pro-and its professional advisers will with a high status and with co- fessional heads of all the Services be drawn over closer, for on their ordinating and advisory functions and be capable of assessing with wholehearted and loyal co-opera- seems desirable, though to find one out bias the respective value of tion the efficiency of Defence de- with experience and with unblassed their opinions is all the more im-pends. A theoretically perfect and Interests in Defence problems portant.
foolproof system can hardly might often be difficult. That Whether a Defence Minister, if expected.
Y
Mr. A. Ariyoshi, first Japanoss Ambassador to Chlum, presented his credentials in the Great Ceremonial Hall at Nanking on Friday morning. The suramony was witnessed by many-Chiness and Japaness officialo. The above photograph showst Mr. Wang "Ching-waf," President of Executive" Yuan and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Lim Sen, President of the National Government; Mr. A. "Arlyashi, Japanese Ambasador; and Rear-Admiral O. Stató, Japanese Naval Attache.”
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INTERESTING NEWS!
OUR SUMMER SALE
WILL COMMENCE ON TUESDAY, 2ND JULY.
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WATCH FOR FURTHER DETAILS IN THIS PAPER ON SATURDAY!
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ASTOR HOUSE: PALACE HOTEL:
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In association with the Grand Hotel dos Wagons Lits, Faking
Penang
The Scenic Gem of Malaya
Runnymede Hotel
‚ Malaya's 'Promfar Hotel
also under the same management THE CRAG HOTEL
Penang Hill
(A health station) CABLES "RUNNYMEDE" RUNNYMEDE HOTEL, LTD.
JUST OPPOSITE the Dairy Farm's Soda Fountain.
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