CANADIAN FORCES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 165, 15 July 1942, Page 5

CANADIAN FORCES

ACTIVE ARMY OF 320,000

ON WORLD-WIDE FRONT

! OTTAWA, July 8. I From Alaska to the Far East, Canadian armed forces are now on a world-wide front. The Bill enabling the Government to impose conscrption for overseas service having passed the second reading in the Canadian House of Commons by 158 votes to 54, now approaches the final parliamentary stages. Ages for compulsory military service meanwhile are extended by proclamation from *I_t° 35 years to 20 to 40 years. The chain or air ports built through north west Canada to Alaska, in the words of the Minister of National Defence for Air, Mr. Power, is proving of inestimable value. To meet the possible Japanese thrust a number.?,f defensive air ports are being rapidly developed along Canada'* Pacific coast. *

The Seventh and Eighth Army Divisions are being mobilised to provide mobile reserve support for coast defences. The active army now numbers approximately 320,000, of whom a large percentage is overseas The £!n e £Yn a^ my "umbers an additional 130,000. Canada has 22 RCAF squadrons overseas, with thousands airmen distributed among R..AF. units in every theatre of war Canadian naval units are fJ^ g « I T ricari warshi PS to meet the intensified menace of Axis submarines in United States waters.