EMPIRE AIR DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 23

EMPIRE AIR DEFENCE

BRITISH OFFICER’S TOUR AUSTRALIA AND THEN NEW ZEALAND (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, May 7. Air Chief Marshal Sir Edward Ellington, inspector-general of the Royal Air Force, who has been invited to come to Australia to report on Air Force expansion, will ptfobably arrive before the end of the year. His visit will be part of an Empire tour to investigate and advise on defence plans. He will fly from Groat Britain, making investigations on his way in India and at Singapore, and will then visit New Zealand and Canada. Although his investigations in Australia will be thorough, he will conduct them as speedily as possible, and his conclusions will be submitted to the Federal Ministry without delay He will not prepare an elaborate document like the Salmond report He will outline modern developments in aviation. advise the authorities on the best lines of expansion, and point out in what respects Australia’s aerial defences are now lacking. By the time he leaves, experts will have all the information they require to push ahead with their plans. Sir Edward Ellington's visit emphasises how closely Australia is cooperating with the rest of the Empire in providing not only a domestic defence organisation, but also a link in a chain of Empire defences. His tour has been planned to enable him to suggest a maximum of co-operation between defence air services in Australia with those at Singapore and in New Zealand. Special arrangements for inter-communication by radio and general co-operation between the Darwin air station and Singapore and the Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney stations with New Zealand are expected to form an important nart of his re port to the Ministry. Sir Edward Ellington, who is dl years of age. holds the highest active commission in the Royal Air Force. He was chief of the air staff from 1933 until his recent promotion to the post of inspector-general.