Britain's first line air strength at home and overseas, Mr. Baldwin continued, was 880 aircraft, behind which was a far larger number held for replacement, experiment, etc.
'There was no ground at this moment for undue alarm and, still less, for panic. No immediate menace confronted Britain, or anyone in Europe. There' was no actual emergency, but they must. look ahead, for there was ground. for very grave anxiety.
That was why the government haa been watching the situation for many months past and would continue to watch it with regard to: their own position and as subscribers: to The Hague Covenant, Should an emergency develop, although, at the moment, they did: Rot see any signs of one, Britain! would not be caught unprepared. The Government's announced programme proposed the formation in 1935-36 of 22 squadrons for home defence and, in addition, three squadrons for the fleet air arm. These 25 squadrons were additional to the four already formed in the current year.
The first line by 1996 would, therefore, be increased by some 300 aircraft over' its present figure. Behind them would be a number considered necessary as a normal reserve for training or wast: Arrangements were being made accommodation and personnel and an increase of the reserve of air officers.
Mr. Baldwin said it took twelve months to train a pilot to military flying and there was all the difference in the world between the finest civilian pilot and a man who could into action against the enemy. 'This applied to the British programme, but his words were not without their implications on_ the position in Germany. If she chose, Germany could produce rapidly' aircraft and men, but a country' which had for years possessed no military air force started under a very heavy handicap and it must necessarily be some time before, from the military point of view, such a force could be equal to efficiency {to a force which had behind it, not her internal actions in regard to armaments been shrouded from that date in mystery. He expressed the hope that, when this question was considered in Germany, they would ask themselves whether the price Germany was paying In this mental condition of Europe was ever since the War, the whole military technique.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.