1937-02-17 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 17, 1987.

SCALE OF H

ENORMOUS SCALE

BRITISH RE-ARMAMENT

Fifteen Hundred Million Sterling In Five Years

WHITE PAPER REVELATIONS

London Last Night.

ITALY ALARMED BY

BRITISH PLAN

FASCIST GRAND COUNCIL MEETING

CONVOKED FOR MARCH 1

ROME, TO-DAY. “EXAMINATION OF THE MILITARY SITUATION IN THE

LIGHT OF EXISTING NECESSITIES" WILL BE THE MAIN OB JECT OF A MEETING OF THE FASCIST GRAND COUNCIL,

WHICH HAS BEEN CONVOKED FOR MARCH 1

A statement relating to defence expenditure, issued to-night as a White Paper, recalls that it is not practicable to state the total cost of a pro- gramme to be spread over a period of years and subject to modifications as conditions change, but states that it is now possible to give an indication of the order of the magnitude of expenditure which arising from the continued fall "Where is all this leading? Won't must be contemplated.

It is probable that the level of ex- penditure over the next two or three years will be very much heavier than in the current year.›

It is not at present possible to determine what will be the peak of defence expenditure. Taking the programme as it stands today, however, it would be imprudent to contemplate a total expenditure on defence during next five years of much less than £1,500,000,000.

On this estimate, the statement

says:

NECESSITY DEPLORED "Deeply as they depore the neces-

sity for this vast expenditure of

NEW PROBLEMS

The Council will also hear a position is far less exposed. report on the anxious situation German. political circles ask

Italy, France, Russia and other na-

in the birth-rate.

:

M.P.S. WARN GOVERNMENT

The Italians are deeply impressed tions have to follow suit?"--Renter. by Great Britain's grim determina- tion to Development of air power has ficiencies in her armaments and are make good. the de- raised entirely new problems of de-amazed at the vast financial expen- fence, both at home and abroad, diture involved. requiring not only increased quan- tities of obvious defensive weapons and equipment, but also a certain amount of redistribution and dis- persal of resources, all of which na- turally adds to the cost.

The formidable nature of the task confronting Majesty's Govern- ment is apparent.

Since they first embarked upon it, the conditions which governed its extent and pace cannot be said to have become more favourable and

at present, at any rate, there would in the view of His Majesty's Go ernment, be no justification for reduction or slowing down of programme.

any

the

armaments and other defensive measures, His Majesty's Govern ment are convinced that it must b undertaken. It has been forced upon them, partly by circumstances v time, and partly by the long inter- It is their firm belief that in

INDISPENSIBLE TO PEACE

ITALY APPREHENSIVE

It is felt that Britain and France

Armament Danger To Essential Trades

are lifting the armaments race to heights difficult for the poorer Po wers to attain without putting an

London, To-day. intolerable burden on their citizens.

Great Britain's great new rear- Italians, therefore, are apprehen-mament plan has resulted in the sive over the extent to which the handing of a resolution of warning race will continue.

to the Government by a group of Members of Parliament.

In Berlin, a spokesman of the Wilhelmstrasse, commenting on Britain's rearmament programme,

said that Germany did not deny Britain the right to rearm to the extent she deemed necessary.

However, Germany claimed the same right to arm.

WHERE IS THIS LEADING?

The Members, mostly represent ing Midland constituencies, draw attention to the danger resulting

from the fact that those sections of

industry engaged in armaments are - enticing skilled workers away from necessary trades owing to the at- traction of higher wages.

On the other hand, Berlin ques- The situation, the resolution val during which comparatively the form presented it is contributions Britain's need to arm so ex-states, is weakening British export small demands have been made tion indispensible to peace, and one tensively, believing that Britain's trade. Trans-Ocean. upon national finances for the purwhich it is the duty of the British pose of the defence forces.

people to make.

It would be neither practic- The White Paper reviews, in suc- able nor just that the whole cessive sections, the needs of the burden of making good these navy, army, and air force and deals deficiencies in the short per- with the questions of reserve fac- icd of five years should be tory capacity and the problems of thrown upon the taxpayers during home and overseas defence, that time, and His Majesty's Gov- The desire is to deal with all pro-. ernment are satisfied that in problems by elastic means susceptible posing to spread part of it over a of adaptation in the light of changes longer period, they are pursuing a in world conditions and of course which is fully justified, both needs arising from the intensive in équity and in the general inter-application of scientific research and est of the nation."

invention.

Recent years have witnessed an immense elaboration of the

me-

WIDE RANGE

new

The statement emphasises that chanical equipment of the fighting the programme which must be car-services.

ried out before national defences can be restored to the level of safe- ty, covers a wide range.

EMPIRE STRATEGY Moreover, forces once equipped must be assured of swift and steady It includes the provision of great quantities of material for all three replacement in war. Defence against ever-increasing destructive powers services, in form of ships, guns and of air forces is costly. While these ammunition, aeroplanes, tanks and

necessities are common to many na- equipment of all types.

|tions, the wide; dispersal of Bri- It also involves large additions tish territories and the dependence to personnel of the services and of the home country on supplies heavy expenditure on the purchase from overseas lay a special respon- of land and the erection of build-sibility upon the British forces and ings, barracks, workshops, and ar-above all upon the navy to preserve senals.

the freedom of communications.

To enable this programme to bel Modernisation of the services and ^~^ carried to a successful conclusion, of the defences of strategic points rrangements must be made with in various parts of the Empire is the industry for an extension of its in itself a formidable item in the capacity to supply munitions for cost of the defence programme... the defence services.

British Wireless.

“Me first!"

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