CANADA'S MOMENTUM
CANADA has now reached the point where peak effort in every phase of war activity is within sight. Maximum industrial output will be reached next mid-summer ; the Commonwealth Air Training Plan will be in full swing by September ; the navy will round out present establishment in men and ships by March, 1942 ; the further development of the army now comprising 170,000 (ignoring home defence training), will wait upon the speed-up of industry.
Looking back over the past it is evident that many mistakes have been made—chiefly by Britain—but lost ground is now being rapidly recovered. The morale of the Canadian people could not be higher. The heroism of the British people these past five months has roused Canadians as nothing else could have done.
In the past ten days, the full war programme has been given to Parliament by the Government. Here it is: The army now stands at 167,417 officers and men-52,o93 overseas chiefly in Britain and 115,324 in training at home. Two divisions, with large reinforcements to maintain them, are " in the line " ready to meet the invader. Canadian troops are also in Iceland, Newfoundland and in the Caribbean.
The Canadian navy, which has borne the brunt of the war, 247 men having been lost, is now 13,273 strong, with 150 ships in service. By March, 1942, the strength will be 23,000 and an additional loo ships will be in commission. Most of these ships, if not all, are being built in Canadian shipyards. They are corvettes, mine-sweepers, &c. The Government has announced that with the help of skilled men from the Admiralty, Canada is now going to build destroyers and, perhaps, cruisers. The Canadian navy, small though it is, has convoyed 3,500 ships carrying 21 million tons of cargo from Atlantic ports, with losses of three-quarters of one per cent. The controversy over navy policy, which began over thirty years ago, is ended. Canada intends to have a navy in keeping with her status as a great trading country. Regardless of how soon this war ends, the expansion of our navy will continue.
But the real story of Canada-at-war has to do with the air. The Commonwealth Air Training Plan has fired the imagin- ation of the Canadian people. At the outset, in December, 1939, the plan was British. The R.C.A.F.'s job was largely an administrative one. The British authorities not only worked out the details, but the British Government was to provide the service machines, as distinct from trainer-machines, for final stages of training. Last May, the British Government was compelled to suspend shipments of planes and, while the suspension ended in the late summer, there can be no certainty that shipments will continue. The original plan called for maximum production of airmen in the spring of 1942.
Thus the original plan broke down last May. Britain's future co-operation seemed more than doubtful. The Canadian Government, thereupon, took over the plan and, while the inter- vening months have been one long headache, the progress made has been little short of miraculous. On the construction side, work was rushed on all aerodromes and buildings. This work is now completed, more than a year ahead of schedule. The deficiency in advanced trainers has been overconie by countless expedients and improvisations, plus valued help from the United States and an occasional windfall, such as the acquisition of planes built in the United States for France. Schools have been opened as rapidly as possible. The first group of airmen trained under the plan is now fighting in the Battle of Britain. This trickle will become a torrent. In June there were 500 men in training ; in October 6,000; in December 8,000.
The original plan called for the operation of 33 training schools in December, 1940. Actually there are 48 going full blast. And the last of the remaining 35 will be in operation by September 1st, 1941, six months ahead of schedule. The original plan called for an out-turn of about 20,000 airmen.
This has been increased to 26,000, and further increases are expected. In addition, British training-schools have been established in Canada. The aerodromes and buildings were provided by the Canadian Government (another rush construc- tion job). The capacity of these schools is Io,000 men per year. There will probably be no end of difficulties in maintain- ing this vast air-training establishment, because the need for advanced trainers will never be satisfied. But having over- come every obstacle so far, and having greatly accelerated the plan, the Canadian authorities may be relied upon to see it through.
A fourth and new responsibility has been shouldered by Canada in the past few months. A huge war-industry is in process of development. War orders to December totalled $540 millions on Canadian and $309 millions on British account. In addition, $336 millions of new plant is being built, seventy per cent. of it on British account. War industry in production or planned is as follows: army trucks are being turned out at the rate of 400 units per day, and this is being increased to 600 per day. Tank production is to begin early in 1941. Deliveries of universal carriers began in November. Eight large plants are producing shells, and nineteen others are making shell components. Eighteen additional plants are now being tooled up. Shells now being produced are: 40-millimetre, 18-pounder, 25-pounder, 3.7-inch, 4.5 howitzer, 4.5 quick firing, 4.5-inch 6o pounder, 4-inch, 6-inch , howitzer, 9.2 inch. Total planned production is two million shells per month. One shell filling plant is now in operation and two more are being added, so that, with respect to shells, Canada will be self-contained.
Plants to produce aerial bombs, depth-charges, smoke-floats and pyrotechnics are now being equipped. Bren guns are now being produced in substantial quantities, and output is being rapidly increased. Production of aeroplane frames exceeds 300 per month. The fighting models are shipped direct to Britain.
Plants are being erected to produce 4o mm. Bofors A.A. guns, 3.7-inch A.A. guns, 25-pounders and carriages, Colt-Browning aircraft and tank machine-guns, 6-pounder tank-guns, 2-pounder anti-tank guns and carriages, 4-inch guns and mountings, 4-inch naval guns, 6-inch naval guns, Lee-Enfield rifles. Fifteen explosive and chemical plants are being built, in addition to a substantial existing production. Plants to produce optical glass and precision instruments are being built. A large shipbuilding programme is in hand.
The Hon. C. D. Howe, Minister of Munitions and Supply, has told Parliament that capacity industrial production will be reached in Canada by July, 1941, so that all the plants in the foregoing programme will be in full production by that time.
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