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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0167.PDF
MARCH 20, 1924 of our system of defence was the absence of any co-ordinating power short of the Cabinet itself. Combined policy and action by the three Services was of vital importance to the safety of the Empire. The real solution lay in a correlation of defence controlled by a Defence Ministry, with the Prime Minister as chairman, and with a joint staff which would really think out the problems at issue. He hoped the Government really knew what they were doing in this great problem. Were they now beginning to work on a line of thought-out Imperial policy, or were they merely carrying on because the public obviously would not stand the subject being entirely ignored ? During 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923 we spent £700,000,000 on defence, yet for this vast expenditure we had no security. We were now relatively weaker than in 1914, and our greatest weakness lay in the air. The great lack was a superior guiding policy for the fighting departments, and a controlling force to ensure their adherence to a common policy. He thought that the method of dealing with the airship problem was very disquieting. He urged the Under-Secretary to weigh carefully before it was too late the loss which would arise if airship development were placed under military control. Sir P. Sassoon said that the nation would not grudge the cost of an Air Force of sufficient strength to make it unsafe for another country to attack us, and the whole Empire would view with dismay and disapproval any Government which failed to safeguard the pressing needs of the Empire in this important matter. Mr. A. Chamberlain expressed regret that the Government had hung up yet again for another enquiry the airship scheme. He hoped they would conduct that enquiry as quickly as possible, and, as had happened pretty often, would come to the same conclusion as their predecessors had done. He wished to concentrate attention upon the important question of what policy ought to inspire the Government in regard to the Air Force. Had the Government a policy in this important matter ? The late Government had a policy which was embodied—not textual]y—in the amendment which had been moved. Would the Under-Secretary say specifically whether this was the policy of the present Government, and, if not, what they had abandoned and what they had put in its place ? That was a question that was not affected by what might happen under an international agreement if such were reached for the limitation of armaments. Any standard we set up might be revised and reduced as the result of any such agree ment. He was speaking only of what was to be our Air Force policy until there was such a general agreement or an agreement among the Great Powers as was made with regard to capital ship construction. He deprecated the Govern- a E THE ROYAL ment waiting on the possibility of that before formulating their policy. Let them have their policy for the position as it was, and as it might continue for an indefinite time. Unless they had a settled policy, such as the late Govern ment had, and carried it out steadily until the circumstances were changed by international agreement, they ran the risk of panic in this country—panic that would force the Govern ment or their successors to build in great haste. Mr. Leach, remarking on the unanimity that had character ised the debate, asked why in these circumstances there was an amendment to his motion. Mr. Chamberlain found fault with the Government for having hung up still further the lighter-than-air-ship legacy entrusted to them by the late Government. He wanted one or two reasons why that had been necessary. He observed in The Times that day a letter from the hon. and gallant author of this scheme (Commander Burney) in which he made the declaration that " in this under taking private capital shoulders the major risks." Commander Burney said that statement was not correct. The arrangement was that private capital found £200,000 of ordinary shares and the Government £400,000 of debenture shares. He had always understood that ordinary shares took the risk. If there was a failure the Government foreclosed on the whole of the property, private capital lost the whole of the money, and the Government obtained the £600,000 spent on airship development for £400,000. Mr. Leach said that the total amount of the taxpayers' money which it was intended to put into this scheme was £4,800,000. It was true that there was a provision to pay some half of that back, if the profits allowed, to the State. But Commander Burney had stated that private capital took the major risk. The whole of this sum was going to be risked, and while the Government's share from the taxpayer was £4,800,000, the whole of the sum risked by private capital was only £500,000. That fact, he thought, disposed of the idea that this scheme ought to be presented to the House at this juncture without further investigation. Commander Burney asked the hon. member to give the facts correctly. No other money of the Government was risked until the first stage had been completed, and until the whole programme had been shown to be feasible. Then the second stage came into operation, and no further money other than that for the second stage became due from the Govern ment until the service was on a paying basis. Further than that the Government was repaid £3,300,000 out of that amount, with a further amount added to make it £4,800,000. At 8.15 Mr. Clynes moved the closure, which was agreed to. The House then divided, and the amendment was rejected by 269 votes to 195—majority, 74. s a —*•" AIR. rOT^E^ London Gazette, March 11, 1924. General Duties Branch The following are granted permanent commns. in ranks stated (March 12):— Fit. Lis.—E. P. Mackay, N. V. Wrigley. Flying Officer.—h. Martin. A. C. Tremellen is granted a short service comma, as a Flying Offr., with effect from, and with seny. of, Feb. 26. The following Pilot Offrs. are promoted to the rank of Flying Offr. :— L. G. Pinnell; Dec. 10, 1923. A. King-Lewis ; Feb. 16. Flying OUT. H. W. Hewson resigns his short service commn. and is permitted to retain his rank March 15. Flying Offr. J. W. Sole resigns his short service commn ; Marchl2. Wing Commdr. P. S. Rickcord (Comdr. R.N., retd.) is re-attached for a further year's duty with R.A.F. ; March 1. Stores Branch Sqdn. Leader J. E. Parkin, M.B.E., is placed on the retired list, and is granted rank of Wing Comdr.; March 12. Reserve of Air Force Officers The follg. are granted commns. on probation in General Duties Branch in ranks stated ; March 11 :— Class A.—Flying Offrs.—ti. S. Basford, J. C. Cantrill, H. A. V. Kirk, H. Laycock. H. Marsden, W. Munn, J. A. Shaw, G. W. Thorpe. Pilot Offrs.— V. H. E. Baker, W. H. Basker, R. A. Coulthurst, W. Dougall, T. C. Edwards, L. E. Falla, V. Foster, H. L. Miller, F. H. Pidgeon, G. H. E. Roxburgh, G. W. Smart. Class B.—Flying Offr.—E. McL. Cleland. Pilot Offr.—A. Y. Paton, D.C.M. The folic, officers are confirmed in rank, with effect from the dates indicated: —Flying ^Offrs.—H. Hickson; Feb. 21. B. Martin; Feb. 23. K. W. Brewster, M.C., W. T- Hutchinson ; Feb. 28. G. T. Legge, F. G. M. Sparks ; March 11. Pilot Offr.—T. L. I. Bell ; Feb. 10. Pilot Offr. I. J. Sankey is transferred from Class A to Class C ; Feb. 23. London Gazette, March 14, 1924 General Duties Branch The following Pilot Offrs. on probation are confirmed in rank:—A. H. Grace; Dec. 10, 1923. Y. W. Burnett, J. S. Dick, S. R. Sunnucks ; Jan. 9. G. J. Gaynor ; Jan. 12. R. Barrett, P. R. Stroud; Jan. 16. Memoranda The permission granted to the following to retain their ranks is withdrawn on their enlistment in the Army :—Lieut. C. R. V. Cook, Sec-Lieut. P. C. Saxby. H H m QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT Herring Fishery and Aircraft Assistance SIR ROBERT HAMILTON, on March 11, asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is prepared to renew negotiations with the Air Ministry with a view to carrying out experimental flights over the waters to the North of Scotland for the purpose of locating shoals of fish during the summer herring fishing season ? Mr. Adamson : The Fishery Board are already in communication with the Air Ministry with a view to ascertaining whether any arrangements for such experiments in Scottish waters will be practicable. Air Operations, Iraq LIEUT.-COL. MOORE-BRABAZON, on March 13, asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the policy of the late Secretary of State for Air is being continued in Iraq under which bombing raids are strictly prohibited for the purpose of the collection of taxation ; and whether, in the interests of the Royal Air Force in Iraq, he will state whether bombing raids for the purposes of taxation have ever been carried out in the past ? Mr. Thomas : The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, I have already informed the House on two occasions that bombing raids have never been carried out for purposes of taxation. 167
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