Defence and Policy In the House of Commons on Monday,
Sir Thomas Inskip, Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence, gave much interesting information on the progress of our rearmament programme. Existing munitions factories were working to capacity and 52 new firms had been offered contracts ; seven-eighths of total requirements in shells and cartridge cases were fulfilled ; the quality of aeroplanes had been amazingly improved ; the supply of machine-tools was satisfactory. But Sir Thomas said little that could be properly interpreted as concerned with the co-ordination of defence,—that is, the directing of all three services to a common and con- sidered end. He pointed out that, while the Navy and Air programmes were well advanced, the Army, relatively, lagged behind ; and Sir Archibald Sinclair very properly replied that so far there is no indication of what function the Army is to have in the war which presumably must be foreseen. It might be thought, indeed, that a Govern- ment which officially has no enemies could not prepare for any particular war ; but the debate, especially after Mr. Churchill's intervention, and Sir Thomas' sinister references to " the enemy," made it perfectly clear against whom, in fact, our armaments are directed.
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