66QTATEMENT relating to defence, London, Mar. 3. the fourth White Paper of the series begun in 1935, was issued last night.
It presents a survey of the progress of the defence programme which, it is claimed, is now almost jiversally accepted as unavoidable and as furnishing a steadying influence on the present state of inter national relations.
While delays and difficulties have been experienced, the statement declares, and deliveries in some cases have not been fulfilled, progress on the whole has been satisfactory, The difficulties hitherto encountered have been largely met and the rate of production is now rapidly increasing.
It is revealed that in the next financial year provision is made in the estimates of the three defence departments for expenditure amounting to £343,000,000.
Of this sum £90,000,000 will be met under the Defence Loans Act.
In addition, nearly £8,500,000 is provided for the air-raid precautions services, The speed with which the strength of the Navy Is increasing is shown by the tonnage figures. These indies ate that at the beginning qf 1935 tonnage stood at 139,000 and by the yoginning of 1938 had been progress sively raised to 547,000.
During the year ending March, 1939, itis expected that 60 new vessels of all classes will be put, into service, totalling more than 130,000 tons.
The programme of the new ships to be Inid down in 1938 consists of two capital ships, one aircraft-carrier, four large erulscrs, three small eral sers, three submarines, three mine layers, two river gunboats, one dos troyer, one submarine depot ship, one fleet air supply depot ship, a repair ship and various types of small crat, Three capital ships are in hand for modernization work and another has been completed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.