Evening star., 1951-01-28
Canada sDefense Plans
Production Program to Be Outlined
When Parliament ReussembIes Tomorrow
By MichoeI Borkwoy

OTTAWA.-The Canadian Par
lament reassembles tomorrow to
prorogue last years session. The
session has not yet been formally
ended because of the international
situation. A new session will be
opened on January 80, when the
Governor General will read the
customary Speech From the
Throne" outlining the business
for the session.
There will be plenty of business,
most of it arising from and all
of it dominated by. the need for
new defense measures. Much of
the governments defense program
is already known and indeed al
ready being put into force. Some
Of it has still to be determined.
Already under way is an increase
In war production in three main
lires. Aircraft probably come
first. The output of F-86s-Amer-
ican-type jet fighters urgently
required by the North Atlantic
treaty countries-iS already being
pressed to bear the present limits
of factory capacity. Four hundred
of the new planes are destined as
a gift to the British Royal Air
Force, as soon as arrangements
can be completed with the United
States for the supply of jet en-
gines to put into them. In other
plants methods are being sought
to increase the production Of the
new jet engine. brenda, and the
twin-engined. two-seater, long
range jet fighter known as the
Canuck. Neither is yet in assem-
bly, line production. but both
will be soon. Plans are also being
made to produce quantities, as
yet undetermined of the Harvard
trainer, which will be needed
when the extended Canadian air
training program for airmen from
the NATO countries gets going
later this year.
Parallel with the plans for air
craft production are new large
orders for radar and wireless
equipment, which will also be used
partly for Canada's own needs
and partly for her allies. On the
naval side, a new design of anti
submarine destroyer is already
under construction and the new
standardized 3 inch so caliber
naval gun is being built for both
the Canadian and United States
Navies.
Behind on Weapons
Manufacture OF army equipment
has Jagged. largely because of the
difficulty of determining what
types Canada would most profit
ably make now that she is def
nitely adopting American type
army weapons. But large orders
are now being placed for a wide
range of weapons ranging from
small arms to field pieces as big
as the 155-mm. howitzer. A good
many of these items may be useful
tc European countries using
American types of arms. Others
Of them follow new standardized
designs which the British will also
be interested in.
When Parliament meets the
government will be able to an
nounce these production plans. It
is certain also to announce a new
recruiting drive, with special en-
phasis on the air force, and it
will be able to say that Canadian
ground force will be ready for
dispatch to Gen. Eisenhower's
army in Europe. But this may
not be enough to satisfy Parlia-
ment. Some Conservative (oppo-
sition) members have already
called for raising increased forces
ard a yet quicker rate of indus
trial mobilization. A stir has been
caused by a statement of r. M.
Sale, president of the Ford Motor
Co. of Canada, that the Canadian