British Army Estimates for the coming financial year, issued to-day, show an increase of £22,237,000 compared with last year, rising from £63,120,000 to £85,357,000.
The figure, much the highest in a table given going back to 1922, does not include Army expenditure on equipment and works of the regular army to the extent of £21,143,000, which will be met under the Government's Defence Plan. Otherwise, the Estimates would have totalled 106,500,000.
A memorandum issued by the Secretary for War, Mr. Leslie Hore-Belisha, states that substantial progress has been made as regards the problem of securing an adequate supply of recruits, but that progress has still to be made.
The strength of regulars is 170.000 compared with 168,900 last year. It is not proposed to raise in 1938 the remaining two of the four infantry battalions mentioned in the Government's Defence Plan.
Referring to proposed changes, the memorandum states that two cavalry regiments will eventually remain horsed, but that the remainder will be mechanized. At the end of 1938. British establishments will consist of twelve mechanized regiments and three cavalry regiments. In India, the policy of mechanizing cavalry has already been introduced in the case of two regiments.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.