Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-25
AirFOrceGrOws
BY B. T. Richardson.

TTAWA.-Evidence of the dramatic
of less than 5000 officers and men when
Canada entered the war in 1899, is seen
in Air Marshal Harold GUS Edwards
report that Canadian airmen are now
bearing 30 per cent of the weight of the
bombing offensive of Germany. Air
Marshal Edwards commanding officer
of the Royal Canadian Air Force in
Great Britain, told the press in Ottawa
that Canadians comprised Is per cent
Canadian squadrons.
Canada is operating 80 squadrons. en-
tirely Canadian in personnel in the
British area including separate bomb
err group under the Raj Bomber Com
mand But for every Canadian airman
in those squadrons, there are II Cana
dams flying with British squadrons.
Canada is now cashing in heavily on
the extensive air-training system estab-
lished in 1899. Originally the scope of
this plan was "a training schools. Now
the figure is 154 air-training stations.
iAC SolloNldll pan Ids plOf1OCO u all.
ing for the Raj, for Australians, New
zealanders and student pilots from other
parts of the world, including about 5000
Americans who joined the RCAF before
the United States entered the war.
More than $4,000 Canadian aircrews
have been trained, the men who fly
planes. OF these, about 10000 are on
oetiyo nf than
concentrated in Britain and the Medi-
terranean area, not forgetting a number
with Field Marshal Wavells army in
India and United States General Buck
ners forces in the Alaska-Aleutians
theater.
Airdrome Of Democracy.
President Roosevelt once described
Canada as "the Aerodrome Of Democ-
racy." For many months, the giant air.
training plan tied up trained personnel
as graduates were plowed back into the
system to provide instructors. But the
greatest pride Canadians find in their
new-found air power is the actual par
ticipation in the great bombing offensive
now under way against Germany. Our
aircraft are out almost every night"
Air Marshal Edwards said.
Canadas air minister, Charles G..
Power, is convinced believer in the air
power concept that Germany can be
bombed out of the war. He has been the
directing head of air force policy since
separate air ministry was formed in
h DC Iiroofin,, tho PGAF
has grown to strength Of 180,172,
figure he recently stated in Parliament
But Canada has put such emphasis on
air power in its war effort, that the
number of trained air crews far exceed
the capacity of the country to supply
trained ground stats. That is why many
Canadian airmen will continue to fly
with the Raj and, possibly in increasing
numbers, with the USAAF, where the
ground stats are not Canadian. Mr..
Power told Parliament that to supply full
ground crews for all air crews trained
by Canada would require more men than
the entire existing Canadian Army.
Costs Billion Dollars Yearly.
The administration stats of the RCAF
have been heavily supplemented with
women and civilians, to release men for
service duty.
The RCAF is now costing Canada more
than billion dollars year, a figure
believed without compare among nations
the size of Canada, with II 500 900 popu-
lation. The cost this year is SLIPS, AL
414, compared with $603, 1888 last year.
The 1913 figure includes gay and al
lowances for all Canadians In the RAJ.