Evening star., 1936-07-12


Seueloped land and air forces be-
Heued second to none: Italg has
squeezed every ounce OF effort ana
finances into pertecting ,car ma
chine; Japan has been under con-
troll of militurists Uho haze pushed
arn,y and nary to parity tCit, any
possible opponent France has
'rinqed herself Uith underground
tortifcdtionS and kept army at top
strength.
Europes fire major poicers hare
more than 100000 men under
arms and 100000 reserves are
ready for any contingency.
By Radio to The Star.
LONDON, July l.-Sir Samuel
Hoare, first lord of the admiralty, an
nounced today that Great Britain is to
have virtually new fleet. strong
enough to go anywhere and carry out
its duties in any conditions"
Z This is a matter of life and death
10 U.s." he said, because if the sea
communications of the British Isles
we're cut of, within six weeks we
should be dead of starvation
Hoare admitted the air-power threat
of the European Continent had turned
England, "once the most secure island
+. in the world, into the most vulnerable
: society in Europe" He outlined in a
: speech at Southampton a building
= program by which Britain hopes to
8 produce an air force equal to any in
Europe and a navy far superior to any
= but the American.
= IF our sea communications are cut" ="
i. he said. I'VE have supply of raw ma
terials that will last our industries for
, three months, but that supply would
be more than We should need. for
, within six weeks We should be dead OF
= starvation"
Long Delay" Is Cited.
- This is the overwhelming reason
that makes reconstruction Of our fleet
so vitality important. We have de-
: layed so long in its rebuilding that we
are faced with the problem OF build
ing what virtually amounts to new
feet. That this fleet should be built
upon the right lines is a matter OF
life and death to us.
"As our life depends upon free pas
sage through the Seven Seas OF the
world. our feet must be strong enough
to 90 anywhere and carry out its duties
in any conditions. 1t Is our deter
mlnation to have such a feet and tc
build it with the least possible delay
Discussing the air menace, Hoare,
who was himself air minister for seven
years said: The formidable fact
about air power is that it has made
what was once the most secure island
in the world into the most vulnerable
society in Europe. Here, within few
minutes flight of the continent, is
gathered together vast population
living in the conditions of the richest
: and most complicated civilization that
the world has ever known.
Vulnerable For First Time.
81 "a crushing blow struck at so vul-
fierable a target might have effects
the evil results Of which we cannot
even imagine. A mortal blow might
be struck at the heart Of the empire
!. For the first time In our history the
heart Of the empire has become vul-
9nerable
Such a state of insecurity cannot
be allowed to endure. care not from
what quarter our security is chal-
lenged. our reply to the challenge
must always be the same. This is
mot a question of partisanship for or
against this or that country in Europe.
1t is an established principle of Brit
ish policy. 1t is indeed the basic con-
-dition of British life that wherever
and whenever our security is en-
dangered it is our bounden duty to
make such preparations as will re-
move the danger.
1T is on this account that we are
proceeding with our great program Of
air reinforcement. 1t Is with the
determination to reach at the earliest
possible date air parity with the
strongest power within range of these
shores that We are creating our new
squadrons and producing our new
machines"
g Leftist Politicians Hit.
= Striking back at the Laborites and
leftist politicians whe damned his
part in the Hoare-Laval peace terms
TO end the Italo-E Ethiopian War, the
first lord charged that, while these
opponents opposed Britains arms
program, they had "clamored for ac-
ton that five years ago would have
involved us in unilateral war with
Japan and five months ago would have
involved us in unilateral war with
Italy"
Noting it Is the fashion in certain
quarters to disparage the leadership
OF Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin
Hoare defended his chief, saying,
Far better than the paciflsts, he rep
resents, as no other man represents,
the forces of peace in the country
through all these difficult months
as know better than any one, he
mas been determined to prevent the
connagratlon Of European war
There were many months when a less
STEADY determination to pursue the
pain OF peace might have plunged
Europe into one of the greatest catas-
trophies in the worlds history"
Admiral Sir Edward r. G. r. Evans
speaking at Gnlingham TODAY. de-
clared, Nobody will ever pull a live
lions tail, and if the old British lion
wakes up, stretches himself and gets
his teeth and his claws put in order.
I don't think We have anything to
fear"
tCopyright. 1886. by New York HsraId.
Tribune)