MAY WIN WAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 291, 9 December 1941, Page 5

MAY WIN WAR

■gAIR TRAINING PLAN ' ''•« ■ ACHIEVEMENTS IN CANADA MONTREAL, Quebec, Nov. 1. It has been stated that the Battle i of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. This statement may be subject to question, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the present war may be won on the training fields of Canada. Eton taught its young men the art of sportsmanship, an<f installed in Sk mm the spirit of courage. Under f' S l ® British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which was inaugurated shortly after the beginning of the present war, young men from practically all parts of the EmitJ.nPtre and from other parts of the world are being taught in a very exacting school, all the arts which %s %''to to make men. _ At the commencement of the war, Canada's air force and her training ""'fields were comparatively small. To-y-t day, after only a little more than -two years of war, training schools " "tretch from coast to coast, and are ' : - Probably the best equipped in the World, while young men of a wide ■ jariety of nationalities are taking ... their training for the battle overseas. Cosmopolitan Flyers - % r ' the streets of the capital city of Ottawa are to be met probably the 111P m °st cosmopolitan variety or , young , men to be found anywhere HB' fi 86 ™ the Dominion. They can be identified by the badges on their : uniforms or by the colour thereof, j&.vg? ©ray-blue of Canadian flyers fragging easily identified from the dark " SSS °'the Australian and New Zea- ' TO; airmen. They all, however, s®*® toget along very well together, ~c. -jtod are to 'all intents andsjmrposes comrades in arms. ,f Ina recent speech'delivered by # k fr 1 " Minister Power, it has *be6n disposed that the British CommonA ir Training Plan will be ,~»ended until the number of schools "a aerodromes already- constructed

is almost doubled. Major Power, who ■j® also member of Parliament for Quebec South, delivered an eloquent speech in French in Montreal, in which he set forth to FrenchCariacUan youth the following facts: (1) An exclusively French-Canadian squadron will be established overseas under a French-Canadian leader as soon as enough French-speaking personnel are obtained. (2) Aviation offers young men an almost unlimited field of activity and after the war aviation will make undreamed-of strides in our country. (3) Quebec will be called upon to play a highly important part jn the organisation of air traifsport in the future; already the province is the terminal of transatlantic flights. (4) The few unfinished schools previously planned for the air training plan will be open within the next three weeks. j French-Canadian Courage | Major Power urged FrenchCanadian youth: "Keen of sight and stout of limb, who have more than their share of courage and in whom there vibrates a deep sense of patriotism and honour?' to enlist in the R.C.A.F. V , In a former address Major Power predicted that Canada might ultimately be called upon to provide as many as half the .manpower for the Empire's air force. "We have," he said, "made headway. We shall achieve even more.. The number of flyers in the schools will be increased- by 25 per cent. Moreover we have decided to go beyond the scope- originally contemplated under the.- Air Training Plan. We will expand ? its scope by building again almost as many schools and aerodromes as we have* Constructed so far. "Canada," continued Major Power, "is playing a foremost part in the vast drama that has the world for a setting. We have but reached the interlude. We owe it to ourselves not to disregard in any' way - the dangers to which we are - exposed. The power that is ours to govern ourselves must not 'fall into Nazi hands. Nazi-ism degrades, enslaves, plunders: H 3iit we are thankful to our enemies for'having provided us with the opportunity of proving ourselves true Canadians, and of awakening In our Hearts the noble feelings that led to the greatest sacrifices." .