Indian Defence Although the British offer of increased contributions to
the maintenance of the defence force in India is designed to 'prevent the abnormal increase of the burden of military expenditure borne by India the proposals have had a mixed reception. The British Government have decided, subject to the approval of Parliament, to increase the annual grant of L1,500,000 towards Indian defence by £5oo,000 ; to make a capital grant up to L5,000,000 for the re-equipment and mechanisation of certain British and Indian units in India and for the provision of new aircraft for the Royal Air Force in India ; and to transfer three British battalions at once, and another as soon as is convenient, from the Indian to the Imperial establishment. The controversial question of India's share in military expenditure was recently made more pressing when Mr. Hore-Belisha's increase of the pay of the British Army represented an additional expenditure to the Government of India of approximately ,C1,125,000 a year. The new proposals have been stigmatised by Mr. Desai, the Congress Party leader, as inadequate and insincere. India, he has declared, cannot be bribed into co-operation in a possible war on such terms. In the circumstances the Government have made a wise decision in sending out an expert committee headed by Lord Chatfield to study the problem.
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