INDIA'S WAR EFFORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1941, Page 8

INDIA'S WAR EFFORT

I DETAILS OF REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT I I MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. I LORD BIRDWOOD’S GREETING. I I 'British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 20. As “Father of the Indian Army.” Field-Marshal Lord Birdwood sent greetings to old comrades who have : "ever fought so gallantly for the Em- ! pire and with whom I have been intim- ■ ately associated during 4G years of j active Indian service." These greetings ;lre contained in a foreword to a booki let by Sir George Dunbar on the Indian i war effort, which is a valuable record of every kind of activity. Recalling the Eastern Group Conference at Delhi of Ministers from various Dominions and colonies with the object of making the whole eastern half of the Empire mutually self-supporting as re-i gards war supplies, the booklet ex-' presses the opinion that India is the! focal point of the British Common- j wealth of Nations east of Suez. “Mod- j ern developments in aircraft perform-1 mice have revolutionised ground! strategy, and this conquest of time and ■ space has advanced India’s strategic' frontiers eastward to Singapore and west to the Suez Canal." Regarding the Army, the India Gov-j eminent is now engaged in providing 1 as a first step and in a comparatively short time nearly 5,000.000 men of all arms trained and equipped and mechanised in accordance with modern requirements. The large number of officers required is being obtained by widespread recruiting. The process of “Indianisation" is being speeded up and Indian officers will be posted to all In-! dian Army units instead of to specified ; formations only. Indian shipyards are building wellarmed minesweepers and anti-submar-ine patrol boats. Australian shipyards | are helping with larger seagoing craft t and modern sloops built in Britain fori the Royal Indian Navy will shortly be' in commission. Schemes fur the expansion of the; air force were put into force at the; start of the war and various service: schools were immediately established J The Air Force technical school has been : expanded to tram 350 Indian airmen.! Today India is estimated to be turn-; mg out 90 per cent, of her own wars requirements, and when the expansion; schemes are complete she should even ■ be able to send surplus munitions over-' seas. India makes rifles, machine-guns, • small arms ammunition, artillery up to ; .six-meh guns and howitzers, propel- 1 hints of ail kinds, saddlery, blankets,; and uniforms She ha? recently been j able to meet overseas orders which in-' elude lo.Otrj.tMlO rounds of small arm- i ammunition, large quantities of explo-i sives and millions of items of military equipment and clothing. Army boots are being sen’ to Great Britain nt the rate of 1500 pairs a month on an order j of £750.000 A.reraft con truction is under eonsiderntioii The manufacture of armeured vehicles has already begun and one railway workshop is living adopted fur the production <>f tank? and ar-j