London, July 17.
Great Britain could not afford to remain unarmed in a world where everyone else was arming to the teeth, declared the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in a speech to-day at Middlesbrough, in the course of which he referred to world armament and the unanimous request of the Non-Intervention Committee to the British Government to propose a plan for dealing with the Spanish situation.
Everyone knew, the Premier said, that Britain's arms would never be used for purposes of aggression, but anyone who contemplated aggression would naturally pause when the power and resources of a Britain fully armed were seen.
"We are stronger than a year ago." Mr. Chamberlain proceeded, "and every day added to the power and efficiency of all the country's services and the completeness of the preparations we are making to resist attack.
"Our air force need fear comparison with no other force in the world," he added.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.