Evening star., 1943-08-29
Short of Men
By B, r. Richardson.

OTTAWA.-Manpower shortages fave.
become the dominant features Of the Ca.
madam home front, and in no field Is IL
more critical than in the supply of men
to train for the air force. The question
Is now widely discussed in Canada
whether or not some training schools will
have to be shut down In the commons.
wealth air training system. r.
One of the most popular branches of
military service with Canadians. the
Royal Canadian Air Force formerly had
long lists of waiting applicants. But
those lists have been used up. Whether
the air training plan, designed to han
die training not only of Canadians alone.
but also of cadets from Britain, Australia
ana other dominions, is beyond Canada's
capacity to maintain with a full flow OF
new recruits, Is an open question.
Exact size of the air training system Is
secret. The original capacity was 49,
600 pilots, observers and air gunners a
year. But that was In 1889. and the
system was stepped up to $4,000 aircrew,,
Ihen 1t was stepped up again, but na.
1urtner information was released on air
training capacity. In the fourth wear
OF war for Canada, the manpower noof
is becoming exhausted, and the summit
OF men for air force training Is he.
coming dependent almost entirely on
youths coming of age. A.
154 Training Schools. IT
Inc commonwealth air training plan1
Is joint enterprise Of Canadian Ans
trallan, New Zealand and British eov-
ernment. 1t operates 154 air tra,nino
schools in Canada. Several months ago
the number of trained graduates posted
10 active theaters of war was placed at
oo'ooo alrcrew, figure not including
substantial increase in Canadian air
oeIense at home. AS Air Minister O.
u Power estimated the Importance Of
the system at that time he said thar
out-turn OF pilots, observers, air g,Inners
ana other categories for air duty was.
sufnclent to man $4,000 combat planes
more than 90 per cent of the graduates
nave been Canadians. The system re-
qulres about 10000 staff to keep it going
ana IN addition to aircrew trained and
posted to combat service, the number of
ground crew trained has exceeded
rs 900.
FIRST source tapped by the air force
IN It's search for more aircrew material
mas been its own ground staffs. Between
foo and 1000 ground crew are being re-
mustered each month for air training.
Ihls Is made possible mainly by taking
IN women to replace men on ground
Joos. At present, heavy recruiting
orlVe Tor women for the Royal Canadian
All Force is under way and, because of
employment of women in war industries
and other essential work, the numbers
OF women enlisting for air force have
been disappointing. Even In woman-
power, Canada seems to be coming to
the end.
Inc bare limit of potential airnen in
canada Is represented in the generation
that comes of age each year, This
amounts to 10000 boys reaching the aga
OF IL years each year, and when educa-
tlon and physical qualities are consid-
cred, the number likely to qualify for
alrcrew is probably only 10000. But
HCAF has organized the Canadian air
cadet movement, which now has 30o
squadrons with total enrolment of %
0O0. These are boys from IS to IL wears
OF age They not only receive prelini-
nary training by syllabus, but are also
sent to elementary air training schools.