Britain's Preparedness Sir Thomas Inskip, Minister for the Co-ordination of
Defence, gave a remarkably optimistic account of Britain's preparedness for war in his speech to a meeting organised by the London Chamber of Commerce on Monday. If his confidence is justified, he is to be congratulated on his success in a supremely difficult task. The naval and air force building programmes are well advanced. Vast stores of oil have been collected. Preparations have been made to secure proper supplies and distribution of food and raw material. And industry, says Sir Thomas, a little surprisingly, has been able to satisfy the demands made upon it. But if material is not lacking, men are. Neither the Regular nor the Territorial Army has sufficient recruits. But an improvement in recruiting is to be expected if the Defence Ministries recognise, as they are said to be doing, that the best way of attracting men is to improve conditions of service ; and the steps taken to ensure employment for ex-service men is evidence of such recognition. The gravest deficiencies appear to be in the preparations for air-defence. London, the most vulnerable of cities, still has not equipped its two anti-aircraft divisions. Nor has the delay caused by the dispute between Whitehall and the local authorities over the division of the costs of air-raid precautions been overcome.
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