New-York tribune., 1922-03-17
Britain Points
To Aircraft as
Peril of Future
Abolition of Air Ministry
Held Impossible Under
Present Conditions. Is
Assertion in Commons
Fixed Policy Announced
Limitation of Aerial Arrna.
ment Suggested as Possi-
bility by Chamberlain

LONDON. March 16 (By The Associ-
ated Press).-A question much di.
cussed lately-to what extent develop,
ments in aviation may make naval war.
fare obsolete--was raised in the House
of Commons tonight in debate on tn.
naval estimates. which were introduced
to-day Austen Chamberlain, LORD
Privy Seal, outlinod the present policy
of the government on the question.
Mr.. Chamberlain said he could mag
inc circumstances might soon lead the
world TO believe that limitation of bat
tleships or armament would be Of little
use unless similar limitation was placed
on aircraft. Therefore. he could only
declare the governments policy as
things stood at present.
Believing, as the government did
that the air force had immense poten-
tiaitles, quite distinct from its duties
as an adjunct to the naval and military
services. and convinced that in the flu
ture the greatest danger to Great Brit
am might we'll be from an action by air
forces, the government considered il
would be retrograde step to abolish
the Air Ministry and re-absorb the air
force into the Admiralty and the War
Office
Air Policy Summarized
Mr.. Chamberlain announced that tho
standing committee OF the Committee
on Imperial Defense, after long and
careful inquiry, had arrived at the fol
lowing conclusions:
Flrst--lhat the air force shall he
autonomous IN matters Of administr;-
ton and education. Second--In case OF
defense against an raids the army aud
navy must play secondary role.
operators the air force must De in
serct subordination to the general or
admiral IN Supreme command Fourth
In other cases, such as the protec-
ton of commerce and an attack on
enemy hGrbors and inland towns. the
relations between the air forces and
the other services shall be regarded as
riat'er OF co-operatioN
Nh Chamberlain added that the pov.
eminent lad decided to appoint ii com
mttee TO advise further how to secure
the utmost efficiency in the air SEW
Saving Totals Sos. 900. 900
Lieutenant Colonel Leopold Amerv.
Parliamentary and Ninancial Secretary
of the Admiralty. in presenting the
naval estimates in the House Of Com
nous to-day said the savings resulting
from the Washington conference would
amount TO 9l5,200,000 approximately y
$50 0O0 900
I'VE have reached the limit,' he said.
Things have been scrapped to the
bone. Only a further fall in prices or
possibly other navles following up the
Washington conference by q more ad-
vanced policy in the reduction Of arma-
ments can make possible additional
economies in subsequent years.
Colonel Amery said Great Britain
lived by her power TO keep the sea
highways open and free, and never
would surrender it even to her best
friend. He said it had been agreed at
Washington 20 accept equality with
America, and accepting equality was
not competition. but cooperation for
maintaining the world s peace But
even FOR purposes Of such cooperation
he declared Great Britain could not
afford to be less than an equal
Conference Surpassed Hopes
Colonel Amery, III paying tribute 10
TIE work Of the Washington corfer-
ence said:
The wise actions Of President Har-
cling and Secretary of State Hughes.
the wholehearted support by the Brit
ish delegation and the loyal concur
renee of the whole empire and other
delegations achieved solution which
went far beyond our best hope The
result Of the conference, without der
election from the one-power standard
recognized the minimum security for
our existence as free power
He said the economies gained By all
the naval powers might in the next
ten Years be recloned in hundreds Of
millions OF pounds. which would rep
resent powerful contribution to the
economic recovery Of the war-spent
world
"Thc gains our representatives.
brought home from Washingt =
Colonel Amcry declared "wcre the re
moVa' OF spspiclon, the growth Of SYM
pathy and mutual understanding
among nations and. not least. the in
crossing truth Of the capacity Of the
B"tish Empire, with It's new organiza-
tion to give united effect to a single
policy"