§ 48. Colonel GRETTONasked the Prime Minister whether under the terms of the Treaty the Irish Free State will be able to establish and maintain its own Air Force?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLYes, Sir. I understand that the term "military defence force" in Article 10 of the Articles of Agreement includes an Air Force.
§ Colonel GRETTONHas the Government had any recommendation made to them on this point?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe naval and military Clauses were carefully considered with the experts of those various Departments, and the Ministers concerned in dealing with them are the Ministers usually associated with the work of the Committee of Imperial Defence. The same is true of the arrangement made about the Air Force. It was not considered of sufficient importance to insist upon any specific stipulation in that case, and I think very sensibly so.
§ Mr. G. TERRELLWere these arrangements actually approved of by the technical authorities?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLIt is not a fair thing to try and cite technical authorities, military or naval, as approving of matters which are wholly political, and surrounded by controversy.
§ Captain W. BENNHear, hear!
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am very pleased to have that approval from a wholly unexpected and unsolicited quarter.