Grr Britain intends to spend up to £1,500,000,000 on rearmament during the next five years, according to a White Paper ori defence expenditure issued last night. The White Paper contains a detailed statement covering the whole range of Brita rearmament "programme.
The White Paper points out that the request for powers to borrow £400,000,000 does not necessarily imply that the whole sum will be realised,-but it would be imprudent to contemplate 8 total expenditure on defence during the next five years of much ess than £ 1,500,000,000, including both the normal estimates and the additional provision under the £400,000,000 loan scheme.
In explaining the reasons for the new measures, the White Paper says that recent years have witnessed an immense claboration of mechanical equipment in the fighting services of many countries, resolution in. connection with the Defence Loan was Introduced to day by" Mr, Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of. the Exechequer, Even:£1,500,000,000 spread over ye years could not, he said, be regarded as final, If conditions were to chaui to their disadvantage, that would not represent the total Srliain' would be obliged to spend on defence, but, he said, If circumstances allowed them to reduce: the programme, all the better.
Among the main points in. the dggument are:—aye to belie diting two S003 dake reg more £0000000 tal Sear: page alt curiers Wil be included Seven rulsors, and probab!
aval construction costs, which aver.
ows than 13.0090 gran Increased to nearly. £60,00,000 tant ton We "sti further for" the "nowt iment before sod 2tuellve capacity "can The Paper points out that, while the "necessity of modern equipment and protection against air attack. is common to many nations, the wide Aispersat of "British territories com prising the Empire and the depend nee of the home country on supplies from overseas. lay a special respon sibility upon the British forces, and above all upon the Navy, to preserve freedom of communications. The modernization of the defences of strategic points in various parts the Empire is in itself a formidable tom inthe cost of the defence programme,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.