ALL UNITED FOR VICTORY

Southland Times, Issue 24249, 5 October 1940, Page 5

ALL UNITED FOR VICTORY

Empire's Miglity War

Effort

MEN AND MATERIALS FROM ALL QUARTERS

(British Official Wireless)

RUGBY, October 3. The whole of the Empire’s war effort is growing with ceaseless momentum. By the end of September between 50,000 and 60,000 men of the volunteer militia will have concluded camp training in Canada, and during 1941 nearly 390,000 will be trained. In addition, it is unofficially estimated that the total number of Canadian troops now in England is more than 46,000. As announced in the first week of September, the Canadian Navy numbered 125 vessels, and the Royal Canadian Air Force was expected early in October to have a strength of 26,500 officers and men, of whom 16,000 are in the Empire air training project. Canada’s material resources represent a highly important factor. The current wheat crop is estimated by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics at 561,000,000 bushels, which is about 5,000,000 below the record harvest in 1928. Oats, barley and linseed are estimated to be all above last year’s production. In nine months Canadians have bought about £130,000,000 worth of War Bonds.

In Australia, the establishment of a new infantry officers’ training school will raise the output of officers to nearly 2000 a year—the number required for the Australian Imperial Force. Plans have been made for a great expansion in the air defences in north-eastern Australia, involving the expenditure of many millions of pounds on establishments and aircraft personnel. The proposed strength of the Air Force will be at least 8500 officers and men.

Seven Australian shipyards are building 50 patrol craft to the design of the Navy Board of which 20 were intended for the Admiralty. Each ship will be manned by Australians and named after Australian towns. Two Tribal class destroyers under construction in Australia will with the King’s approval, be named the Arunta and Warranunga, the names of two aboriginal tribes.

The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation has handed to the Australian Government the hun-« dredth Wirraway plane one year after the production of the first. This means an output of £1,000,000 worth of planes in the first year of production.

The members of 15,000 Australian war savings groups now number 1,250,000, one-sixth of the population. in the Royal Air Force, and 8204 men in the Royal Rir Force, and 8204 men have volunteered for the Royal New Zealand Air Force as pilots and 8189 for the technical staff.

In South Africa, the Transvaal gold output in August broke the record at almost 1,200,000 fine ounces. The South African Air Force continues to take part in many successful raids on Italian bases in Africa, where a Rhodesian squadron of the Royal Air Force has also made successful attacks. The Southern Rhodesian gold mining industry achieved its highest monthly production for 23 years during August. In India, applications for service in the Royal Air Force are being received at a rate of between 700 and 2000 daily, according to a recent announcement. The advertisement of 300 vacancies for pilots in the Indian Air Force Reserve brought 18,000 applications. War industries in India are producing about 20,000 different items. A factory survey will shortly be made to estimate the production capacity. Hardly a day passes without further generous Indian

gifts towards aircraft purchase. Kenya’s man-power is now 100 per cent, mobilized. Every able-bodied man not in the regular forces is having part-time training in the Kenya defence force.

From Canada’s war expenditure of £120,000,000 since September to a £6O gift from a Falkland Islands sheep farm, from the 119,420 enlistments for the Australian Imperial Forces to the Seychelles field ambulance—the Empire story is one of consistent, generous and, above all, gathering effort for victory.