HUGE PROGRAMME

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 265, 8 October 1940, Page 7

HUGE PROGRAMME

CANADIAN DEFENCE.

EXPECTATIONS EXCEEDED

(United Press Association —Copyright.) (Bee. 9 a.m.) OTTAWA, Oct. 7. The Minister of Defence (Colonel J. L. Ralston) lias announced that 137 over-age American tanks were delivered to Canada over the week-end.

“They will be very useful for training purposes. We certainly appreciate getting them,” r lie said. The Deputy-Minister for Air (Mr J. S. Duncan), speaking at Toronto, declared: “We have more men overseas, more men on home defence, more men training, more schools operating, and more aerodromes constructed than we envisaged in our original plans. We have been able in every way to increase our contribution to the common cause. “Since the war over 3000 ships, representing 17,000,000 tons, have left Canada, and none has been lost while under Canadian protection on this side of the Atlantic.”

EMPIRE’S WAR EFFORT,

EASTERN CONFERENCE.

(British Official Wireless.) % RUGBY, Oct. 6. ■- Preparations are proceeding in Delhi for the meeting there of the Eastern Group Conference which opens shortly and will be attended by representatives from New Zealand, Australia, and the East African colonies. Their chief task will be to take measures for the co-ordination of the war effort in their countries, with special reference to the position in the Near East. Meanwhile the Roger mission has arrived in India and has begun a tour, during which it will study the development of the niunitions industry in India. Striking progress has been made in this field and the adaptation of plant to war needs is proceeding steadily. The manufacture of steel building and engineering supplies and various types ol weapons and ammunition is now being conducted by civil concerns in addition to Government factories. One railway workshop is being adapted to the manufacture of tanks and armoured cars. The manufacture of many medical supplies hitherto imported is being established, and proposals for the manufacture of aluminiuiji are being considered.

In other directions India’s vast resources are being drawn upon to assist the Empire’s war effort. During the last six months 1000 tons of tea has been supplied for use by the Australian defence forces. New demands for coal for the Middle East have been accepted and negotiations for increasing supplies of certain heavy hides have been successfully concluded. During the past fortnight orders have included timber for Iraq, the Middle East and Aden, engineering stores for the Middle East, textiles for Singapore, and jute sacks for Egypt. An order for.the construction of a number of small naval vessels is also being executed. MORE DESTROYERS ARRIVE. LONDON, Oct. 6. The third group of American destroyers arrived at an English base to-day simultaneously with the arrival of several hundred naval men to man them.