1935-05-24 — Page 15

SHARP EYES OF

THE FLEET

NAVY SHOULD CONTROL ITS OWN AIR ARM

By Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes

UNDER

the Treaty of Versailles Germany was allowed to replace her old battleships by vessels not excced- ing 10,000 tons, mounting guns not exceeding 11in.

With considerable ingenuity, she designed the "pocket battleships," possessing sufficient speed to escape from any

THE

HONGKONG

TELEGRAPH. FRIDAY, MAY 24,

1935.

After a few years, in response to the urgent demands of the Admiralty, the Government ap pointed a Committee to inquire in! to the relations between thel Admiralty and the Air Ministry The Committee recommended that the Navy should be allowed to sup ply 70 per cent. of the pilots and all the observers of the Fleet Air Arm, but in an effort to please both sides it satisfed neither.

It left the Fleet Air Arm underi n system of dun control, which only operated thanks to the good comradeship of the officers and men of the two Services, but is full of anomalies and does not make

for efficiency.

The Admiralty had insisted that; every penny spent on the Naval Air Arm should appear in the

Naval Estimates, and it thought that its increase and alty's concern. For instance, if the Admiralty were prepared to surrender a cruiser or destroyer

battleship, and carrying 11in. guns capable of destroying development would be the Admir

any cruiser which came within range.

flotilla for au aircraft carrier and

they would be free to do so.

In answer to this challenge, France is building two 25,000-ton baltle cruisers, which will be capable of over-so many squadrons of aeroplanes, taking and destroying the "pocket battleships" and any, cruiser in the world, and also two 35,000-ton battleship However, as a safeguard it was valueless, and there is a strong case for a thorough Inquiry into to meet those which Italy is building.

hasrity. The Air Ministry is thus the present unsatisfactory state of Thus naval construction started in Europe, and we cannot faced with a tremendous task. We affairs, As recently as Nov. 28. ignore it. The Mediterranean and sailors feel, very strongly that the 1934, Mr. Baldwin declared in the Suez Canal are vital links in the moment has arrived when the Navy House of Commons that the Fleet chain of our Imperial communica- should be freed from the dual con- Air Arm was an integral part of It is folly to be blind to the trol, which has so greatly hampered the Royal Air Force, and the Ad- Fleet Air Arm have frequently fact that if people of one race do the development of the Navy's Airmiralty's efforts to expand the not hesitate to fight amongst them- Arm ever since the war,

Before it was amalgamated with been blocked by the Air Ministry. The American Army and Navy selves as they have been doing recently in Spain, Austrin and the Royal Flying Corpe as the Greece--nations with confifeting Royal Air Force, there was no had to face exactly the same kind interests may well fight for the more efficient, up-to-slate, or better of Press and political propuganda things they want, if they think equipped air unit than the Royal which brought about the amalgama- they can do so with impunity. Naval Air Service. It had the very tion, but they were able to resist is suicidal to lay ourselves open tu latest and best machines, and had with the result that the Ameri possible attacks by neglecting our in the Handley-Page night bom-ran Services are infinitely more ber's and Naval dying boats by far air-minded and für better equipped own defences.

the largest and most powerful air than are ours. craft in existence at that time,

tions.

the

POST-WAR DECLINE

Clause of the Government's "Statement Relating to Defence" denis with the necessity for pro- viding adequate defences for the

I possessed kite balloons, dirigi- bases and fuelling stations of the flect and for mercantile harbours.bles large and small; the Admiralty Army had built an airship, which was It explains that in Estimates the increase shown is the first aircraft in the world to due to the provision for improved make a successful passage across const and anti-nireruft defences, the Atlantic to Amerien and bark. I mention these facts to show that! up-to-date equipment, transport

of all kinds. the Navy was thoroughly capable and war reserves which have fallen far below re- of liking after its own air ser

rice. quired standards.

The importance of the defence of Singapore, for which provision is made, cannot be exaggerated. Without a secure base there we could not send a fleet cast of Suez, This is so fully recognised by our Dominions and Crown Colonies tliat Australia, New Zealand. the

However, the Government of the Straits Settlements and Hongkong have all subscribed generously today decided to amalgamate the two Services, and formed the Royal Air its construction.

Force in 1918,

i

I have recently been in America, and I have no hesitation in stating that the American Navy is at least 100 per cent, ahead of ours in these respects, having been free to wings unhampered, develop its while those of our Navy have been pinioned by an intolerable system of dual control,

OBSOLETE SHIPS

Sir Wilfred and Lady Grenfell, pictured on the S.S. Majestic on their arrival in New York. Sir Wilfred is famose as the founder of the mission in Labrador and is on his way to inapset them.

I cannot give a better example of the handicap under which the It is quite trae that the Royal Navy bus suffered than the fact Flying, Corps and The Royal Naval that the Air Ministry declined to Air Service were in competition low Naval petty-oflicers to qualify for machines and material, but this pilots in the Fleet Air Arm commissioned officer pilots are could easily have been adjusted by although large numbers of non- machinery similar to that which employed in the Royal Air Force. existed for the production of naval. This is an intolerable interference in the domestic affairs of a Ser- and military orduance.

vice which proved its capacity to build up a splendid air service be fore 1918, and now should be left free to develop ILS own Air Service AIR FORCE'S BIG TASK

The Navy was deprived of sore to meet increasing requirements. of its excellent squadrons, but The Air Ministry will have plenty Clause & beye down that the generally speaking the amalgama to do in organising the consider principal role of the Royal Airtion did not seriously affect the able augmentation they need for Force is to provide with the coefficiency of the Navi air service their own affairs. It would seem ¦ operation of ground defenec) for

Its squadrons, remained under a goud opportunity to relieve them the protection of the United King-naval control for operations until of their share of responsibility dom, and particularly London, hostilities consed. But after the for the maintenance of the Fleet against air attack. It also pro-war friction was inevitable, and the Air Arm.

Although the Naval Estimates vides air forces for general defence Navy watched the efficiency of its purposes in the Middle East, India and the Far East, as well as for equipment decline, and had to be have been increased by £3,500,000...

content with a small Air Service this increase, owing to the par- co-operation in coast defence; and administered by the Air Ministry. simony of previous Estimates, Is other nations are building, in addition, it furnishes specially which had many other preoccupa-swallowed up in making good de- trained and equipped squndrons tions.

ficiencies in stores and equipment for co-operation with the Army,

and the cost of modernising old and a proportion of the Fleet Air Arm personnel to work with the Navy.

A CASE FOR INQUIRY

Election of Hugh Baillie, shown above at his desk, as president of the United Prens has been announced. Mr. Baillie, who succeeds Kari A. Bickel, has been executive vice-president of the organisation for four years. Mr. Bickel, who had been president since 1923, will continue as a director and member of the executive committee.

A DEFENCE LOAN

men in the vicinity of the Iloyal Dock-yards and in the depressed arcus, to whom 85 per cent. of the cost of the ships would go in wages, It is obviously quite impossible instead of the money being pald It was a long time before we ships a very uneconomical proto provide out of revenue the

out, Da now, in unemployment oven established our right to have ceeding.

money for the necessary augmenta-benefit and public assistance. Naval

admiral observers. An

Dircelly the Treaties of Londontion of the Air Force and the re

There are millions of patriotic I think it la generally agreed might be dependent upon some in-and Washington come to an end placement of our obsolete ships, that a very considerable augmenta experienced young Royal Air Force the Government will be faced with so there would appear to be no people who would accept a low rate tion of the Royal Air Force is observer for reports on which the the necessity of replacing a num- alternative to raising a Defence of interest in such an excellent in absolutely necessary for the safety | whole conduct of the Fleet and the ber of obsolete ships, which enn Loan while money is cheap. The vestment, which would carry with of Great Britain, and for carrying efficiency of its fire control might only be death traps if they have to work given would greatly benefit it an insurance of security and out any collective system of secu-| depend.

encounter the modern ships which many thousands of British work-peace.

EMPIRE DAY

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FRIDAY 24th MAY

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As dust storme agalu scourge the South-west, Margaret Bourke-White's camera shows you better than words the aggravated plight of thousands of plains farmers. This man, emerging from his house to clean up after the "dustar" has passed, pusben, desperataly against the door of one of his outbuildings, sealed shut by the drifted dust which has heaped itself over implements, tools and equip. ment, a literal mantle of death. After two crop failures, he has no money to repair the badly damaged buildings.

The wind-continuas to sing through the clanking windmill, but this Taxas former senna the horizon in vain for relieving rain. Nóta the dust ridge in the foreground, in miniature terribly suggestive of the sand dunes of the Sabara. Since these dust storms floods have added to the farmers' mlaarios.

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Sports-Dept

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