in, March, 1931, 1 mentioned to the House that the' Germans had al ready 1/500 mobile antiaircraft uns, in "addition to the whole of their static artillery of anti-aircraft Gefence, Since then, they have been faking' them at a" great rate, and {hey have also conquered moore: than all Gey want from the many coun tries they have overwhelmed, "Our position is very different, in-from wes Today, it, Here a made a very moder: ote, well-informed" and. thoughtful contribution to. the but. he {ised a very diferent mood and tone a speech which he recently de-ivered inthe country, That, makes it'necessary for me to say that the Hate in which our Army was left when Mr. Here-Belisha had ended hig tenure of the War Omice, during the greater part of which he was also Feoponsible for production and Supply, was lamentable, We' were short of every possible supply, but most particularly Special classes" of modern weapons, Sniieaircraft guns" and anti-tank uns... which have proved. theme Selves' vital necessities of a modern war and which he is) now suggest we are so purblind as not to be able fo comprehend."
Glere, Mr. Here-Belisha interven to point out that la Belgium the British forces lost the nest lot equipment that has ever left the Brldsh shores, He asked. the Prime Minister to recall that up, til very Fecently before the war, Parliament the country were opposed 10 tion of a continental army which nevertheless We tried to "create), Resources Taxed Ins, Churchill proceeded: "1 am dealing. not with the particular fcquipment of the troops who went fo" France, who. naturally drained the rest of our resources, ut, the equipment of our army at that time Snd at the outbreak of the war wat fof-a most meagre and deficient char~ Seter, and these deficiencies made themselves most. marked and still make themselves most marked. in the very type of weapons for which there is the greatest possible demand, "ST ama'not. throwing all the blame for this upon Mr, Here-Belisha, but has great, responsibility in' this matter and when he speaks in this way it i only fair to point out, that he is one of the last people entitled take that line."
air, Edgar Louis Granville, Liberal Natlonal_ member for the Eye divie son of Suifolk, interposed: "No riminations, another general question which' may fairly be asked is: Why have we Rot ouch stronger and much larger ie forees in the Atiddle East? T can nly say that from the moment the Battle of Britain was decided tr our favour in September and October Inst year by. the violones of our! fighters. we have been ceaselessly sending aircraft as fast og possible 10 the Middle East by every ToUle and every method. During the present year. as our strength. in the alr has own, we have not been hampered.
wwe were in the case of the ant Sireraft guns, by lack of aircraft. The problem hae Seen to end them to {he eastern theatres. of war. Anyone ican see how great are the German Sdvantages to move their alr force from one side of Europe to another: They can "fy along a line of per manent airfields. Wherever they alight End refuel, there are permanent air~ Fields in the highest state of efficiency. fand og for services and personnel and ores. without which squadrons are ulto useless. these can. go by. the grand continental expresses along the main European lines.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.