EMPIRE AIR SCHEME

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1939, Page 8

EMPIRE AIR SCHEME

ALLOCATION OF COST. [by CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] OTTAWA, October 11. It is authoritatively stated that the cost of the Empire air training scheme, running into “hundreds of millions of dollars,” will be borne by the United Kingdom (50 percent.), Canada (25 percent.), and Australia and New Zealand (121 per cent, each.) It is expected that the trainees will remain on the pay-rolls of their parent Governments. When the scheme is in full operation, aeroplanes will be manufactured in Canada but until then, provided the American embargo is repealed, heavy purchases of trainer and fighter machines will be made from the United States The'plan offers an inducement to United States manufacturers to open Canadian factories. It is considered here that the London estimate that 25,000 machines will be involved is large, and is probbaly based on long-term requirements. AUSTRALIAN CIVIL RESERVE MELBOURNE, October 13. The Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr. Fairbank) announced that 3500 men in the Civil Air Reserve are to be added to the Royal Australian Air Force. The men will be trained under the Empire scheme, and the Civil Air Reserve will cease to exist. NEW ZEALAND DELEGATION. [per press association.] WELLINGTON, October 12. The personnel of the New Zealand delegation to the conference to he held in Canada on Air Force training was announced this evening by the Minister for Defence (Mr. Jones). The delegation will comprise Group Captain H. W. L. Saunders, Chief of the Air Staff, and Mr. T. A. Barrow, Air Secretary. During the absence of these officers their places will be taken by Group | Captain L. M. Isitt and Mr. P. C. Weenink respectively.