GAINING SPEED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 308, 5 October 1940, Page 8

GAINING SPEED

EMPIRE'S WAR EFFORT. ASSEMBLING ITS RESOURCES. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, October 3. The whole Empire’s war effort is growing with ceaseless momentum. By the end of September between 50,000 and 60,000 men of the volunteer militia concluded camp training in Canada, and during 1941 nearly 300,000 will be trained. In addition, it is unofficially estimated that the Canadian troops now in England number more than 46,000. As announced in the first week of September, the Canadian Navy then numbered 125 vessels, while the Royal Canadian Air Force is expected early in October to have a strength of 26,500 officers and men, of whom 16,000 are in the Empire air-training project. Canada’s material resources represent a highly important factor. The current wheat crop is officially estimated at 561,000,000 bushels, which is about 5,000,000 bushels below the record harvest of 1928. Oats, barley, and linseed are all estimated to be above last'year’s production.

In nine months Canadians have bought about £130,000,000 worth of war bonds. In Australia, the establishment of a new infantry officers’ training school will raise the* output of officers to nearly 2000 a year —the numbbr required for the A.I.F.

Plans have been made for a great expansion of air defences in northeastern Australia, involving the expenditure of many millions of pounds on establishments, •aircraft, and personnel. The proposed strength of the Royal Australian Air Force will be at least 8500 officers and men. In India, applications for service in the Indian Air Force are received at the rate of between: 700 and 2000 a day, according to a recent announcement. The advertisement of 300 vacancies for pilots in the Indian Air Force Reserve brought 18,000 applications. India’s War Industries. War industries in India are producing about 20,000 different items. A factory survey will shortly be made to estimate the production capacity. Hardly a day passes without further generous Indian gifts towards aircraft purchase. Kenya’s manpower is now 100 per cent, mobilised. Every able-bodied man not in the regular forces is having part-time training in, the Kenya defence forces. Seven Australian shipyards are building 50 patrol craft to the design of the Navy Board, of which 20 taro intended 1 for the Admiralty. Each ship will he manned by Australians and will be named after Australian towns. Two Tribal class destroyers under construction in Australia will with the King’s approval, be named Arunta and Warranunga, names of two aboriginal tribes. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation has handed! to the Australian Government the hundredth Wijrraway aeroplane one year after the production of the first. Tins means an output- of £1,000,000 worth of aeroplanes in the first year of production. The members of 15,000 Australian Avar savings groups uoav number 1,250,000, one-sixth of the population. Them are noAV 1000 New Zealanders in the Royal Ai\v Force. Eight thousand two hundred and four men have volunteered for the Royal New Zealand Air Force as pilots and 8189 as technical staff.

1 From Canada’s war expenditure of £120,000,000 since last September to a gift of £6O from a Falkland! Islands sheep farm, and from the Australian Imperial Forces 119,420 enlistments to a Seychelles field ambulance, the Empire’s story is one of a consistent, generous, and, above all, gathering effort for victory.