AIR TRAINING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 117, 20 May 1942, Page 7

AIR TRAINING

OTTAWA CONFERENCE

formulate Plans For Using All

Allied Resources

I-nitOfl Press A.ssociat ion.—Copyright. Rec. 1 p.m. OTTAWA, May 19

The Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Mackenzie King. in a speech at the I nited Nations air training conference welcomed the delegates and regretted the absence of Russia. Ho said that the imperative need was for a co-ordinated air-strength. In perfecting co-ordinatcd effort among the United Nations lay the key to victory. In many fields the means of achieving unified action in prosecuting the war had already been devised, such as unified strategic direction and common planning, unified allocation of munitions and of raw materials.

"The aim of the conference." lie explained, "is not merely the discussion of problems. Jt is proposed to explore all the possible avenues of co-operation and co-ordination in the air training field with a view to planning the best and speediest use of ail existing facilities. It is imperative to keep in mind that air training is directed to actual combat in the air. The ultimate purpose we all have in view is the attainment of overpowering and decisive air strength. The magnificent contributions already made to that end by the United Kingdom and the United States are the pride of all who love valour and who cherish freedom."

President Roosevelt's Greetings

President Roosevelt instructed Mr. Robert Lovett, United States Assistant Secretary for War, to deliver a message to the conference, conveying his personal greetings and stating:

"It. is fitting that the conference should be held in Canada because Canada is increasingly becoming the aerodrome of democracy, sending from her training fields thousands of her own men and those of the United Nations to fight for the cause of liberty over all the battlefields of this planetary war. Without Canada's tremendous contribution to our common destiny, the cause of the United Nations might have been greatly imperilled.

"Your conference symbolises that the people of the United Nations can look forward confidently along the hard road of victory. The hopes of free men and women everywhere, the hopes of those who are awaiting liberation in the countries which the savage invaders have darkened and despoiled, are with the United Nations."

Grouping of Delegates

The preliminary session of the conference yesterday was attended by representatives of 14 countries, including Free France. The Minister for Air, Mr. C. G. Power, stated to the Press that one of tlje primary efforts of the conference will be the standardisation of air training technique. He added that Canada was ready to put its training facilities at the disposal of any member of the United Nations desiring to use them.

Major-General Shen, commanding the Chinese undergoing air training in the United States, is attending the conference. He told Pressmen that China has built bases from which planes can easily bomb Tokyo and other Japanese cities as soon as they receive the necessary planes. MajorGeneral Shen said there were many trained pilots in China, but they are idle because planes are lacking.

Asked if China can keep on fighting now that the Burma Road is closed, Major-General Shen replied: "We can. We have been fighting for five vears." He stated that japan could not stand a long war because her industries and resources were insufficient. Japanese air losses are serious, because the Japanese aircraft industry is not a large one.

The discussions were continued to-dav in closed sessions. The Minister, Mr. C. G. Power will make a statement daily.

The conference chairman said that the nations represented will work in three main groups:—(l) The British quartet —Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the United States. (2) Other countries training in America such as Norway, the Netherlands and China. 13) Countries not training in America but chiefly in Africa and Britain, such as Poland, Czechoslovakia. Greece, Belgium, South Africa, and Free France. The United States group will have at least three committees working on different subjects simultaneously.

Major-Genera 1 Barton Young, Commander of the United States Air Training, told Press representatives that they were nearing a point where any pilot of any one of the United Nations could step into any other nations' show.

Mr. Power said that the ideal situation would be a pool, including all pilots and all planes of the United nations.