CANADA AND WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20136, 4 January 1940, Page 7

CANADA AND WAR

INDUSTRIAL ROLE RESERVOIR FOR BRITAIN ORGANISATION PROBLEM OTTAWA, Dec. 13. A survey of Canada’s effort in the first three months of the war leads to the conclusion that for a considerable time Canada’s genius must be devoted to the immense problems of organisation. Canada’s task appears to be: —First, the marshalling of raw materials; second, the speeding up of industry, but with a stability which will endure in peace time; third, to provide the necessary economic instruments, including large reserves of foreign exchange by which Britain will be able to tap the United States’ supplies; fourth, to speed up her own local defences; fifth, to provide the locale and to participate in one of the most ambitious schemes in history for training a force of military specialists, •the - Empire Air; Scheme; and, sixth, to provide an expeditionary force. Lessons of Last War Leading Canadian officials emphasise that the military lessons of the last war have been taken to heart. Despite the heroism of Canada’s .early military effort, the price paid in suffering and the post-war costs were excessive.

Canada’s procedure, therefore, will be less spectacular, but will achieve its purpose with equal certainty. A high British official in Canada said: “The readiness of Canadians who offered to serve was remarkable. It was hard to tell them to wait. This war is different from the last one. It will take more time to determine the exact role that each of you will play.

“One'cannot expect to maintain enthusiasm when it is being suppressed, but that enthusiasm is real and that it is maintaining itself cannot be questioned. Consider the quiet way in which people subscribed 4,500,000 dollars to the Red Cross, when only 3,000.000 dollars was requested. That is ant.”

Althea h there has been no marked industrial upsurge due to the war, industrial activity in November advanced by 33 per cent over the low figure of the previous winter.

Until December 5, Canada had spent only 48,000,000 dollars on her war effort. However, the contemplated expenditures in the first year are expected to be 315,000,000 dollars, which would exceed her costs in the first two years of the last war by 50 per cent.