AIR CONFERENCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 120, 23 May 1942, Page 8

AIR CONFERENCE

i TALKS CONCLUDED *

Master Plan Formulated By United Nations

United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 11 a.m. OTTAWA, May 22

It Is officially announced that a combined committee on air training in North America, to consist of representatives of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada has been decided upon. The United States representative will be chairman of the committee with headquarters In Washington. The air training conference concluded to-day. Mr. C. R. Power, the Canadian Air Minister, Captain H. H. Balfour, of the British Air Ministry, and Major-Genera 1 Yount, Commander of United States air training, held a Joint Press conference. They said that the only concrete agreement that could be announced was the establishment of a combined committee. Australia's non-partici-pation on the committee was not explained. Mr. Power said that there should not be a repetition of the conditions of.the Battle for Britain when pilots were required to go up again and again without proper rest, because of the shortage of air crews. Two reports of the conference will be issued, one for the public of a general nature and the other to coniln a detailed conclusion for official guidance. General Barton Yount, from the United States, said that no progress had been made toward the pooling of air crews. It is believed that greater efficiency can be obtained by airmen fighting under the flags of their respective countries. Both General Yount and Captain Balfour intimated that in discussion it was directed toward training air crews for a master plan formulated by the United Nations High Command, but declined to discuss the nature of the plan. Reporters asked Captain Balfour: Are you satisfied that the United Nations can wipe the Axis air forces from the skies? Captain Balfour replied: I've never doubted that we would do that eventually. We may do it sooner as a result of this conference.

Captain Balfour said the second phase of the conference with the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Governments on the British Commonwealth air training plan will continue Into next week.