AUSTRALIA’S PART

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1939, Page 5

AUSTRALIA’S PART

IN EMPIRE AIR SCHEME MR FAIRBAIRN'S SURVEY. TREMENDOUS EXPANSION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, November 28. “When Australia's contribution to the Empire air scheme reaches its peak, the Commonwealth will be producing service aircraft at a rate closely approaching that of a first-class power,” said the Australian Minister for Air, Mr J. V. Fairbairn, in an interview with the Associated Press. "This .is also most important to home defence aspects, because Australia’s trainingforce domestically will then command a greater body of lighting planes for training purposes alone Ilian was previously contemplated for the entire domestic defence force." Asked to comment on current observations that the Empire scheme bore a distinctly “Australian stamp.” Mr Fairbairn said: "Australia's pre-war advances in aeroplane building and aviation generally made possible an extremely wide contribution to the Empire scheme. We were ready at the briefest notice actively to participate on a full scale.” Asked if lie were fully satisfied with the plan evolved at Ottawa and when, if il attained its purpose, the Allies would achieve air superiority. Mr Fairbairn replied that Hie exact moment of such a development was hard to indicate. To date there hud only been air skirmishes. There was a deduction current from this that qualitatively the Allies were already superior, but whether this was Hie case quantitatively was yet lo be seen. However, he was certain the Empire scheme would turn Hie balance. It was worth stressing, lie added. Hint trainees in Australia would use modern bombers and pursuit planes instead of training planes. This would give Hie force great advantages and would enable it to maintain home defence simultaneously. Mr Fairbairn said lie would consult the Allied Air Ministries, visit the front to eoiil'er with the chiefs of the air service and familiarise himself with combat, conditions. He would return to Australia by air immediately Australia’s share in the Empire scheme,, of which there now remained only details to be settled, had been determin-