AMERICAN DEFENCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 227, 23 August 1940, Page 7

AMERICAN DEFENCE.

NEWFOUNDLAND’S ROLE,

BUSY AIRCRAFT PLANTS. Received August 25, 8.5 a.m. MONTREAL, Aug. 22. An official statement issued after the defence conferences between Canada and Newfoundland announced that the confederation of defences between the two countries had been completed, and stressed the fact that the sovereignty of Newfoundland was not involved. Observers believe that the United States defence interests were discussed. There is evidence that the islanders would welcome American soldiers and marines if they were landed. It is reported from Ottawa that tho Minister of Supply (Mr C. D. Howe) disclosed that more than 8400 employees were at present working in the Dominion’s seven aircraft plants, which was an increase of 20 per cent, in the past month.

He also announced that he had placed a 600,000-dollar order with a Toronto company for six large rescue launches for use by the Royal Air Force on the English coast. The boats would be between 60ft and 70ft long and capable 'of 35 knots. WASHINGTON TALKS. After the meeting between members of the Cabinet and service chietb, states a Washington, message, the At-torney-General (Mr R. Jackson) announced: “We discussed legal questions involved in the proposal for the acquisition by America of naval and air Bases along the Atlantic.” An official of the Justice Department said that the discussions included tho legality of the transfer of destroyers to Britain.

The Federal Loan Administrator (Mr Jesse Jones) announced that plant expansion loans totalling 78,500,000 dollars had been granted to the Boeing, Bendix and Curtiss-Wright companies in a 1 move to break the bottleneck impeding the production of military planes The State Department announces that in July military planes valued at 948,000 dollars were shipped to Britain, and ’planes valued at 1,227,000 dollars to Canada. Canada also bought 2,583,000 dollars worth of aircraft engines.