PACIFIC COASTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23780, 7 October 1940, Page 7

PACIFIC COASTS

CANADA-UNITED STATES ACTION FOR DEFENCE NAVAL RESERVES CALLED UP (Received October 0, 6.50 p.m.) NEW YORK, Oct. 5 The Canadian American Defence Board, after a meeting at Halifax, Novia Scotia, has announced that it has recommended immediate changes in the defence systems of both coasts of the United States and Canada. Mr. F. H. LaGuardia, head of the American section of the board, said: "The board lias made specific recommendations for immediate action. It is the first time in the history of the two countries that such an agreement has been readied. We have made great progress in the right direction." The United States Navy has called up 27,000 reservists,, of whom 11.259 are already on duty. The total strength of the reserves i 5.235,000. The Navy announced that it is disbanding the squadron of three ships which have been on duty in European waters since the Spanish civil war. Thev will return to the United States.

The War Department has awarded a 37,770.000 - dollar contract to North American Aviation (Incorporated), completing the construction -programme of 18,6-11 aircraft inagurated on July 1, and bringing the total to more than 20,000 aeroplanes ordered since early summer.

According to a message from Ottawa, the Canadian Defence Department says Canada will have an army of 500,000 men in permanent or non-permanent service by next summer. Men on fulltime active service at home and overseas now total 150,000. The non-per-manent active militia numbers nearly 112.000, while 29,750 will be called up on Wednesday under the National Resources Mobilisation Act as the first of 210,000 to be called on in the next 12 months.

The United States High Commissioner in the Philippine Islands, Mr. Francis B. Sayre, revealed that he had warned two foreign consuls against disseminating propaganda in the Philippines. He declined to identify them.

ESCAPED GERMAN SHOT 9 (Received October 6, 7.10 p.m.) OTTAWA, Oct. 5 The director of internment operations has announced that a posse shot dead Ernst Muller, a German merchant seaman, who had escaped from an internment camp in north-west Ontario.