The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-12-27
PUTS
Z BILLION IN
ARMA MENTS
But War Preparedness
~. Race Still Lays Be-
hind There
By JOSEPH w. GRIGG, JR.
United Press Staff Correspondent

LONDON, Dec. 27.-(UP)---
Great Britain in 1888 raced
against time to rebuild its war
machine in the most intensive re-
armament drive launched since
the World war.
The year, which brought Eu-
rope in September nearer to the
brink of war than at any other
time since 1914, found British re-
armament fast gaining momcn-
tum but still tagging behind that
of the great totalitarian powers.
The immediate result of the war
crisis was to subordinate every
issue in British domestic policy
to armament speedup. Simultanc-
ously the British government in
tensified it's efforts to build up
an effective organization for the
defense of the civilian population
against air bombing in a future
conflict. .""+
War preparations in 1888 cost
Britain more than $4,000, 600, 900.
Mobilization of the fleet and part
of the territorial army and emer-
gency air raid precautions at the
height of the September crisis
were estimated to have cost the
country between $30,000,O00 and
$40,O00,000 alone.
The naval building program
which Britain pushed forward
during the year was the most for
midable since the great warship
race with Germany before the
World war.
AT the close Of the year, 1875
ships, with a total displacement
of more than $4,000 tons were
under construction or projected.
They included five 35,000-ton bat
tleships, six aircraft carriers, 10
cruiser, 10 submarines, 35 de-
stroyers and q large number Of
smaller vessels. In addition, work
will begin soon on two 40,000-ton
battleships and four S,000-ton
cruisers.
The real limelight, however,
fell in 1888 on Blitain's efforts
to match the mighty air force
built by Germany since 1888. The
government was without effective
estimates of the size of Ger
air fleet, but it was believ-
ed to total around $500 first-line
planes. Against this, at the close
of the year, Britain still had only
about LOO first-line planes.
The great crisis of September
added fresh momentum to the air
rearmament drive. Air Minister
Sir Kingsley Wood announced in
Commons November 10 that the
of fighting planes in the
British air force would be in
creased as soon as possible to be-
tween 5000 and 5000. At the !
same time he said that Britain's |
policy of building twice as many
oombers as fighters would be
strapped in favor of concentrat-
ing on more machines for home
defense.
Another immediate result of the |
Czechoslovakian crisis was to
awaken the country at large to
he grim necessity of protecting
civilian populations against the
relentless air bombing of modern
var, The Air Raid Precautions or
,anization, or ARP, which had
developed slowly for nearly
,ear,, suddenly, sprang to life with
| personnel of more than 1,0o0,-
100 volunteer workers by the
lose of the year. st!. ~ /
Politically. 1898 was year of
Increasing strain on the present
rational government which has
,een in power since the general
election of 1885. Apart from a
ew reshufflings of cabinet men,
'ers, it remained substantially the
anne as the original national gov
'rnment. rr a. ..a5,H 5r,
The first dangerous split in the
abinet occurred EARL in the year
'ver Prime Minister Neville
2hamberlain's policy of appease-
nent with Italy and Germany. He
aced another serious rift imme-
lately after the Munich agree ]
nent. Up to the. end of the No
ember bye-elections in Is con-
had been held. The
government held seven seats and
ost five. The three remaining
we're held by the Labor party.