Evening star., 1949-09-18

4A6AAOSAo VA oAA1tSO OtdIGS kyDS IOI
concerned with 1t than any of the
other Atlantic pact signatories
In this. as in SO much else, Canada
is between the United States and
Great. Britain; and there can bs
no complete solution to her prob
lem without agreement at least
between Britain and the United
States.
The Canadian armed forces
grew out Of the British forces.
They had always-untn toward
the end Of this last war-used
British-type equipment almost as
a matter of course. Now the
emergence Of the United States,
as the worlds greatest military
power, necessarily demands an
adaptation of Canada's military
thinking and equipment to that
OF her closest neighbor and part
ner in the defense of North
America.
Whether the Canadian con-
tribution to the common defense
pool of the North Atlantic alli-
ance should be mainly military or
industrial has still to be deter
mined. 1t will probably be partly
both, as 1t was in the last war.
The only sure way to guarantee
integration is the use of common
standards and common weapons.
Already the Canadian forces study
both British and United States
weapons, communications, systems
OF command and all the rest. As
far as planning can achieve it
they will be ready to At in with the
forces OF either country.
But no amount of training
solves the industrial problem.
Canada's ability to produce arms
and munitions far exceeds the
needs OF her own forces. OF all
that she produced in the last
war 80 per cent was for her own
use and 10 per cent for the use
OF other countries. Her factories
can get into economic mass pro-
duction only If they have other
people to supply besides Canada.
There will undoubtedly be a de-
mand from Western Europe for
Canadian-made arms. But here
again Canada depends on the
United States. In any munitions
OF war made here there must be
a high American content: Coal,
oil and raw steel as well as many
small components which 1t would
be wildly wasteful to produce here
specially for the relatively small
Canadian output. And the United
States is the only sensible or even
possible supplier of these things.
Apart from the strategic danger
OF relying on a long and risky
supply line from Europe, Britain
and Western Europe cannot spare
the quantities of primary mate.
rails which Canada needs.
Needs u. S. Materials
Canada is potentially a large
but she cannot function
as such unless she can get her
raw materials from the United
States. Being short of dollars
she cannot buy the American ma
terials she needs unless the United
States buys enough of its defense
requirements in Canada to cover
the cost Of the Canadian pur-
chases.
This is what was achieved in
the last war by the agreement
which enabled Canada not only to
pay her way but to emerge at the
end Of the war as q creditor to
the United States. There is no
reason why she should not do the
same again, thus relieving the
pressure on United States indus
try and benef1ting all the Atlantic
allies, but for the fact that Con-
gress demands that the United
States armed forces shall buy all
their weapons inside the United
States. Canada is ready and
anxious for integration of pro-
duction and Of equipment. But
she is powerless to implement the
policy, or to contribute what she
might to Europe, until the atti-
tude of Congress changes.
1t is true that Congress approved
a clause in the military aid bill
allowing arms for Europe to be
bought in Canada. But If Canada
sells arms out Of stock she has to
replace them. And for the re-
placements she will be dependent,
directly or indirectly. on the Unit
ed States.
The long-range answer to the
problem is clear. The Atlantic
pact nations should agree on
standardized types for all new
weapons. The United States
should tit Canada il1o her pro-
duction pattern so that Canada
could produce for all the Allies.
including the United States. Ger
tain types of weapon best suited
to her industrial ability. This is
the goal toward which Canadian
policy is directed. In the long
run. and if the need becomes
enough, this is what will
inevitably happen.
But standardization cannot be
achieved overnight. One of Cana
da's top soldiers said the other
day: Standardization does not
mean scrapping all the weapons
you've got and buying new type.
We have in store most of the
weapons left over from the last
war which would see us through
the first year of another war. We
are not going to throw them in
the lake. and neither is any other
country. Standardization means
that when new weapons are de-
veloped we shall all agree on cer-
tain specifications. The British
viii not adopt an American
weapon nor the Americans a Brit
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