The Washington herald., 1922-02-11
Economy Committee Asks
100000, Slash in
z Army and Navy.
PLAN is OPPOSED
BY CONSERVATIVES
Report Assumes Great
War in Next Ten
Years Unlikely.

LONDON. Feb. 10. - Sir Eric
Geddes. heading the governments
economy committee" has presented
recommendations for slashing re-
auction of Great Britain's military
eno naval expenditures which NAV
result in one Of the most bitterly
contested political fights In the his
tory OF the Lloyd George ministry.
The Geddes report. which urges
slicing f7s.o00. 900 from the budget
for the land and sea forces of
the empire-a cut which skaters
All tradition-will bring about an
immediate cleavage between con-
servatives and inhperialists in which
the latter will take the stand that
the proposed reductions will threaten
the safety of the empire and
weaken Great Britain's position
overseas. They will demand that
economies be effected elsewhere.
Oppose War Pension Cut.
The Liberals and Laborites, on
the other hand. will insist on the
military reductions, and fight any
attempt to cut expenditures In the
ecucetion or health departments
still another element. the war vet
Grams. will stand opposed to the
pruning OF war pension.
In addition to cuts of f2I, 1000, 600
In the navy and f2O.0OO.O0O in the
army-not including expected de-
ereases resulting from the Wash
ington conference - the committee
urges a cut of $500, 900 in the air
forces. f1S.000.0OO in education, and
f2.5OO.oOO in health.
\ comparison of the army, navy
and air estimates of l9I4-l5 and
192e-23 discloses that Great Brit
aims defense costs have risen f95,-
Oee 400 in eight years.
The committee in its report re-
vealS that the government decided
In 1919 that the fighting forces of
the empire should be built on the
assumption that no great war
could be anticipated within the
peNt ten years ------Y-- -..-.
Plan to Reduce Garrisons-
The committee intends to save
f25.O0O, 900 more in other depart
ments.. and from consideration, first.
of the adjustment of naval esti-
mates resulting from the Washing
ton agreements: second, from re-
consideration of the decisions re-
garding the renewal Of oil stocks
and storage: and. third, from a
possible reorganization and reduc-
| ton OF British military garrisons
abroad.
The Geddes report declares that
the proposed naval reductions will
not affect the question of capital
ships and submarines. based on the
reduction of $4,000 in personnel
1t is understood that on several
of the proposed reductions the cabi-
net is split. and that some Of the
cuts may be rejected before the
house debates the economic pro-
gram
shows Great Fighting Force.
The Geddes report observes that
the estimates for 1923 show that:
In the fifth year after the armis-
tfce, with a broken and exhausted
Europe and with no German men,
ace we are to have a far greater
fighting power. with a larger per-
sonneI. and greater preparations for
war than ever before in our his
tory"
The recommendations already
have prompted a semi official state
ment from the admiralty. in which
A. ia remarked that "the admiralty
considers that IT has the best
grounds for questioning the com
mittee's accuracy and judgment"
As a result of the agreement made
at washington the admiralty has
already proposed large reductions,
It is pointed out
The admiralty also denies that
the Geddes statement regarding
sfter-the-war strength Of the Brit
| ish defense establishments applies
| TO the navy.