DEFENCE OF CANADA

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 138, 12 June 1936, Page 8

DEFENCE OF CANADA

CONTRAST WITH AUSTRALIA MATTER LIES DORMANT (From "The Post's" Representative.) VANCOUVER, May 20. While the United Kingdom and the remainder of the Dominions are taking heed of the growing threat to the peace of the world, nothing has been done in Canada to provide the nucleus of a normal defence arm. The Dominion Government has, in its many pronouncements on public policy,, made no reference to defence. The late Government made a gesture, in laying out a chain of airports from Atlantic to Pacific, and in building new armouries, but, apart from such perfunctory acknowledgment of pressing need for preparedness, one notices a disinclination to advise the people of the necessity for organisation and efficiency in defence. The facts do not inspire hope. In spite of what is happening elsewhere within the Empire, and of development in mechanical and chemical warfare, the Canadian land forces have not a single piece of post-war fighting equipment. The few fighting aircraft were obsolete several years ago, and are not as speedy as privately-owned pleasure aircraft of today. The Royal Canadian Navy consists of four destroyers, of doubtful usefulness, except for training purposes. The artillery has guns which were made during the Great War. The infantry has no post-war equipment. There is not a single mechanical cavalry unit in Canada, nor one tank unit. The Air Force is training without any fighting aircraft at its disposal. By contrast, Australia is now making its own rifles, machine-guns, artillery, anti-aircraft, tanks, and armoured cars. Yet, during the last two years of the Great War, during the infancy of aviation, Canada produced 2900 aeroplanes for the training of Air Force personnel, and, in 1918, Canadian Airplanes, Ltd., built thirty flying boats for the United States.