Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/105

 DEFENCE 0.3

Quartermaster-General, who is responsible for equipment, supply, transport, and remounts ; the Master-General of the Ordnance, who is responsible for armament and works : the Surveyor-General of Supply who is responsible for contracts and the provisiou of stores in bulk ; the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, who is the Vice-President of the Council and is respon- sible for the Territorial Army ; the Finance Member, who is responsible for finance ; and the two permanent Secretaries of the War Office. The Terri- torial Army is to a large extent administered by Connty Associations oyer which the War Office merely maintains a general control as regards expen- diture.

The principal military educational establishments are the Royal Military Academy, educating youths to be officers in the artillery and the engineers, the Royal Military College whence officers are obtained for cavalry and infantry, and the Staff College, which trains officers for the staff. The Officers' Training Corps in two divisions representing respectively the universities and public schools, is intended to provide officers for the Terri- torial Army.

The gross estimated expenditure for the army for the year 1921-22 amounts (March, 1921) to 118,915,000/., and" appropriations in aid amount to 12,600,000/., leaving a net expenditure of 106,315,000/. Owing to the increased pay, and to the increase in the price of food, clothing and equipment, the cost of the individual Regular soldier is approximately three times what it was in 1914.

The total personnel serving with the forces on March 1, 1921, and charged to British votes was about 341,000, of whom 201,000 were British troops, 55,600 were men temporarily borne on the strength as consequence of the war, and >4,200 were Indian and Colonial troops. The garrison of the Rhine and of certain plebiscitary areas absorbed 15,000 men, of Constantinople, 9,300 ; Palestine, 18,000 ; Mesopotamia, 77,000. The strength of the home garrison was 140,500. The strength of the Territorial Army for the same date was 100,000 (a peace total of about 237,000 is being aimed at). This is not included in the previous figures.

IT. Navy.

The Navy has passed, and is still passing, through a very critical period. It has been reduced to a peace footing, and brought to a minimum of strength. The Navy has been deprived of a number of very powerful and of hundreds of other ships. In November, 1920, it was announced that 1,231 vessels had been sold, realizing 10,024,000/., and 638 scraped, pro- ducing 3,464, 000Z. The pre- Dreadnoughts have gone from the list, except the Commonwealth (retained for training purposes), as also the Dreadnought herself, and the Indomitable and Inflexible. All the 12-ineh gun ships are to be removed from the list The personnel has been drastically cut down. The principal force in commission is the Atlantic Fleet. Th. Home Fleet was abolished. There is a small Battle Squadron in the Mediterranean. Vessels on distant stations have been reduced.

No final or permanent policy has yet been adopted, tat the views of the Admiralty were set forth in a very important document in March, 1920 (Cmd. 619). In De. .-ruber, 1920, the whole subject of future naval policy was submitted to the Committee of Imperial Defence. The present position is that the Fleet is to be maintained at a strength equal to that of any other Power.