Evening star., 1939-10-24
Empire Air Force
To Be Trained in
Western Canada
Bombers to Be Flown
Across Atlantic as
Men Are Ready
BY LOUIS M. LYONS.

-YO CdU CIdVcl I'LL OVCA SoAAoNo
and see no signs of a nation at war.
But behind the peaceful brick facade
of that corner office building is a
military barracks. The normal
school over on the hill has become
an air force center. Even the pro-
vincial mental hospital has been
emptied of its patients to house some
of the $4,000 recruits to Canadas
new citizen army.
The first division to 60 overseas
Is ready and soon to take ship as
symbol of Canada's participation in
the empires cause.
Plans are already in action to es-
tablish upon the western plains OF
Canada the training ground for the
greatest fighting air force ever or
ganized. Two thousand miles In
land, the empire is mobilizing in
Canada the flying corps of all the
British dominions. There they will
learn to fly the great bombers and
fighting planes which they count on
getting from the United States as
soon as the arms embargo is re-
pealed. AS fast as they are ready
they will take off from Nova Scotia
and fly their great war birds over
seas to fight.
Specialist Force Needed.
Canada's part this time is not to
be a great mass of infantry, but a
specialist force of mechanical serv-
ice. The great effort is to be in the
air. Government aff1cials talk in
terms of $4,000 pilots to be trained
in Canada and sent in successive
focks into the fight. To support
them on the ground, 100000 me-
chanics must be trained.
Canadian pilots have already
flown eight bombers to Britain.
This contingent of planes came up
from California the last week before
the war and were flown over from
Halifax.
All Canada thrills to this spec
tacular service. Already the civil
ian flying clubs that cover the land
in this great fiat natural flying
country are recruiting their thou
sands and giving them preliminary
training. Already British air
mission in drinking its tea every
afternoon in the Parliament build
ings here, working out technical
details of the aviation project.
You can see the beginning of
Canada's war effort by going down
this side street to the high school
football field. At one end of the
field the high school boys are play
ing football Across the field a
double rank of men is at drill
Won't Wait for Guns.
You can tell the football squad
because they have uniforms. The
soldiers have none. That is, about
one in ten has. One squad has
rifles. The next has none.
Thus Canada now exhibits an
army without uniforms, artillery
without guns, an air service without
fighting planes. But she has the
men, she has the ships and she
has the money. Her men are ready
to go, the first $4,000 of them. Their
expeditionary commander is named
and their units selected. The artil-
lery won't wait for guns. The uni
forms are being made as fast as
Canadas limited but expanding in
dustry can make them.
Ottawa's 5000 troops have their
barracks at the fair grounds. 1t
still has a sign out, tourist camp"
The fair buildings aren't big enough.
So most Of the men go home at
5 o'clock, especially the married men.
1t sounds like an amateur war. But
Canada proved the quality of her
amateur soldiers last time.
One Division to Sail.
Canada's method of recruiting
was to order mobilization of two
Of the six divisions that exist on
paper and in skeleton form. These
two divisions were instructed to re-
cruit to war strength.
Then 1t was decided to send one
division overseas. The men already
recruited were offered the chance to
join the first outfit to 60.
The Canadians have more men
than they have facilities. England
is not calling for men, but for spe-
cialists and services and supply.
Besides her air force, Canada plans
to build and fit out fleets of sub
marine chasers to free the British
fleet division now assigned to patrol
her coast.
All enlistment is voluntary.
There is no push for universal con-
scription, which is so familiar
campaign of veterans organizations
in the United States. Conscription
got such black eye in 1917 that
every party in Canada is pledged
against it. They have a militia law
that lets the government take every
man 18 to go for defense of Can
ada" But that is not interpreted
to include overseas service. If the
national life was endangered" an
official told me gravely, "it would
be necessary to form a coalition gov
eminent before we could draft men,
OCSouoC COd1lI1Oll kOVclLlIllcIlt Is
not political and has no party
pledges"
Canada Not Stampeded.
I have been asking Canadians all
day why 1t is one hears no war SEN
timent in Canada. I'VE feel very
strongly, but very quietly" one said.
and others much the same. WED
feel very much the same II the
United States was attacked. We
weren't stampeded into it, but we
take it more seriously.
when Britain went in, we felt It
was not Britains war only. We are
the chief prize any nation could win
in war, with our vast undeveloped
resources. Nobody decided for us
but our own Parliament. The King
declared war for England. But he
did not declare war for Canada, al
though he is our King. Our Parlia-
ment met and declared war q week