THE PACIFIC

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 11

THE PACIFIC

AT EVENT OF WAR

TRADE AND COAST DEFENCE

CANADA'S PROBLEM

(From "The Post's" Represantitlva.) ' VANCOUVER, 'April 27. In response to repeated demands by the people of British Columbia, the Dominion Government has revealed its attitude in the event of possible war in the Pacific. The Minister of Defence (the Hon. Lan Mackenzie) declared that Canada would greatly' increase her defence appropriations in , the.coming years, Such expenditure for the current year is 34,000,000 dollars, or three dollars per "head of the population. , The determination of the United States Government to. prevent any enemy attack on British Columbia was referred to by the Minister. "Assum- . ing a war between the United States and a trans-Pacific Power," he observed, "the existence of a first-class naval base in Puget Sound demands that any j enemy be prevented from establishing j advance bases within, effective flying j ran ge_approximately 600 miles. The - most northerly of the Queen Charlotte Islands is within 600 miles of Seattle. It Will be our responsibility, as a neu? tral, to prevent advance bases being established on Canadian territory. Atfe have similar problems on the Atlantic, with respect to the great cities of Boston and New York." . ' THE PROBLEM THREEFOLD. < Canada would Have to anticipate, "he said, minor sea, land, and air expedltions which might be launched against her coasts to. destroy something of strategic Or commercial value, to secure an advance base for trade raiders, or for establishing bases from which to opereate against centres of industry, Canadian or American. Canada's defence policy must contemplate hit-and-run raids by armed merchantmen or submarines, each carrying one or more aircraft. Such raids could destroy trade, land parties'to cripple industrial units, or create general alarm and despondency. "Hence," he continued, "our defence problem is threefold—-local sea areas, where trade routes converge in the vicinity of our main ports; our main ports and coast line; our neutrality. JTor. our focal sea areas we need sea and air forces, capable of destroying hostile surface craft, submarines, and air raiders. This requires . sance, fighter, and torpedo-carrying aircraft, and adequate'naval strength. •For our ports, we need fixed coastal and anti-aircraft defences, improvised defences at strategic points, ground troops to' man them and to provide reserves for the unexpected. To defend our neutrality e need constant patrol of our coastal area by auxiliary surface craft and aircraft, bombing* planes to destroy bases, and means to dispatch small expeditions." v . i ', DEFENCE OF TRADE. At least 75 per cent. Of British Columbia's £45,000,000 seaborne trade - last year passed through the port of 'Vancouver.>• Defence of trade, said Mr. Mackenzie; meant more than defence of .ourtcoastsr For -example, lbss"of seaborne trade would deprive bur two .million,prairie residents, with,only one fiop, of 'their livelihood. Our lumber *nd mining industries and transportation and commercial interests would be crippled."The British Columbia , coast, rugged, indented, almost unpopulated, makes desirable terrain for setting up. enemy advance posts for raids," added the Minister. "If we do not drive off those who seek to use our bays and inlets for non-neutral pur-poses—-as bases for attack on another friendly " Power—somebody, else will do it for us, and we shall lose the sovev reignty Of our own territory." The Minister pictured Canada's chief ports on. the Pacifier-Vancouver, Victoria, and Prince the focal area for congested, water-borne traffic in the of' Juan de Fuca and 'off the Skeena River. <'Ifi" he said, 'Sve block the approach to Victoria ifrom the south and Vest, we .effectively block the approach to Vancouver. It is as essential for the safety of Victoria, and our naval and military bases there, as it is for Vancouver, that we defend the northern approach to Vancouver, by wfay of Johnstone Straits. Our naval and military 'headquarters are at Victoria; our air, force head- . quarters arp at Vancouver. But we are establishing a new and more advanced air base at Patricia Bay, on Vancouver Island, for both land and sea aircraft. For the /more northerly regions, we are establishing facilities for both naval and air forces in the Queen Charlotte Islands and at Prince Bupert.".