SEAT OF EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 3, 4 January 1941, Page 9

SEAT OF EMPIRE.

WILL IT BE CANADA?

GREAT POWER AFTER WAR. (0.C.) SAN" FRANCISCO, Dec. 1. Kcw Zealanders are already acquainted with stories that the seat of government in London may eventually, after the war, be moved to the oldest Dominion overseas, namely Canada, and this is an opinion firmly held by a large body of Americans who evince the keen-i-st interest in their northern neighbour, and have even promised to fight in defence of Canada should the Brit»h North American part of the Empire be invaded by aggressors.

Dr. Walter Sterling, associate professor of history at the California Ins-ti-tute of Technology, who was formerly connected with the Hoover War Library at Stanford L'nivcrf-ii;.-, near San Francisco, addressed the Caltech student body in Los Angeles, following his exhaustive research in Canada. He r-avs the war, no matter who wins, will make Canada a major industrial power, with resultant great effects upon AmericanCanadian relations. More than 100 aeroplanes, he di>closed, arc now turned out every mouth by Canadian factories, the plan* calling for stepping up producXion to at least 300 planes a month after the first of the year. One plant, he said, is producing "six Hurricane planes a week.

Personnel of Canadian air forcer*, including ground crews, his figures iudicate, have been raised from 2000 to 20,000 men within a few months. Eighteen shipyards are now "going full blast," building Canada's navr, and already 90 j.n cent of war iiidustrv planU originally .«-hcduled lor completion in 1042 haxe been completed.

There is some criticism, Dr. Stcrlin" reported, of the plan whereby Canadian .men 21 to 24 are being inducted into military service by what eome refer to as the 'Sugar s-ystem." AJ3 such men have been given to understand that they will not J,c 'sent across the ocean. Their training consists of a einsic month of "pic-kni.kinj: - ' at one of thirtv caiii]... which will give 300.000 men a months training in a year. All of the 40,000 or more troops sent abroad from (anada volunteered for foreign service it was pointed out_

"Some Canadians," mi id the speskv, "feel that the one-month training system is being used to sell the vrar to Uμ country and prepare the men for conscription by making this prriiminarT training a lot of fun. ] n general. aoVc\cr, Canada i>. making a tremendous war effort. King and Queen's Tour. "It appears Shat no matter what happens, the war MimuJus is destined to mako our neighbour a major power in industry. And ibis al<.ii o i* drMined to affect Canadian- \iiierjc.in relation*. Canada was definitely unptvpajied in ctcry respec-t for this war. <t n <. joaf-on she «a* unified ~» swiftly w.i... Urond question, the Canadian loiir oi the Kinand Queen. Another reamn k*<. that Canada «, ahk- for the fii>t time to declare war in her own light. The fa<t thai Canada now ha- nationhood, and ili.n ..he saw American I<umnoKs floj, like "ner m,,] in !|v has eliminated Fflmr of her infrrioutv complex tha; previously ',},'(. deepest nndcrMjitidi«K. But talk of annexation j f j. ractic . ailv dead/' .