COST OF AIR EXPANSION

Southland Times, Issue 23947, 13 October 1939, Page 7

COST OF AIR EXPANSION

Britain Paying 50 Per Cent* N*Z?S SHARE TO BE ONE-EIGHTH (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received October 12, 7.30 p.m.) OTTAWA, October 11. It is authoritatively stated that the cost of the Empire air training scheme, running to “hundreds of millions of dollars,” will be borne by the United Kingdom 50 per cent., Canada 25 per cent., Australia and New Zealand 121 per cent. each. It is anticipated that the trainees will remain on the pay-rolls of their respective governments. When the scheme is in full operation, aeroplanes will be manufactured by Canada but until then, provided the

embargo is repealed, heavy purchases of training and fighting aircraft will be made from the United States. The plan offers an inducement to United States manufacturers to open Canadian factories.

It is considered here that the London estimates that 25,000 men will be involved is large and probably based on a long term. The British Minister of Air (Sir Kingsley Wood) in the House of Commons announced that the personnel of the British mission going to Canada to discuss the training scheme comprises a House of Commons member, Captain H H. Balfour, Lord Riversdale, Air Chief Marshal Sir ' Robert BrookePopham, and Mr F. T. Earle, managing director of the De Havilland aircraft company.

GERMAN ATTACK ON SQUADRON MORE THAN 100 BOMBS DROPPED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, October 11. An air attack against a cruiser squadron in the North Sea continued for five hours, says a British Admiralty communique. More than 100 bombs were dropped. One salvo fell near enough to throw a few splinters on to a cruiser. The Royal Air Force pilot who escaped from Iceland has returned there for voluntary internment, says a Daventry broadcast. The pilot was under the impression that he had not promised to stay, but the Icelandic authorities contended that the internment was understood.

Hie pilot immediately offered to go back. The Air Ministry, after a discussion, agreed that he should return immediately.

MANY NEW SHIPS FOR U..S. NAVY

RECORD EXPENDITURE IN PEACE-TIME

(Received October 12, 11.50 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 12. The 1941 United States Naval Budget submitted to the Budget Bureau for approval, may exceed 900,000,000 dollars, certainly the largest in peacetime history, says the Washington correspondent of .The New York Times. It is reliably reported that it includes 350,000,000 dollars for the construction of new ships, probably two 45,000-ton battleships, four to eight new-type cruisers and at least eight destroyers and eight submarines.

ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN NAZI AGGRESSION CLUMSY PROPAGANDA (British Official Wireless) (Received October 12, 8.5 p.m.) RUGBY, October 12. Continuing Germany’s efforts to explain away German aggression upon Poland by ascribing to Poland the responsibility for the various incidents leading up to the German invasion, the German wireless yesterday gave a long statement purporting to give proof that Poland had deliberately misled Britain and France by suppressing information about Herr Hitler’s demands of which Poland was already aware. This argument today found its way into the German news agency messages which, at the same time, represent the Nazi demands from last October onward as moderate and solely aiming at repairing alleged injustices.

The truth is that the concessions required by Herr Hitler were regarded by Poland as inconsistent with her sovereign rights and this and the fact that Herr Hitler had demanded certain territorial concessions were well known in London and Paris.

The question of the precise moment at which the full extent and details of the Nazi extractions were communicated to Britain and France becomes therefore of purely academic interest. What is really important and what has been publicly stated more than once and—it is very significant to observe —is admitted in this latest Nazi propaganda, is that the German demands had been definitely rejected by Poland some time before Poland even knew that Britain had any intention of offering. Poland a guarantee.