IMPRESSIVE FIGURES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 July 1940, Page 6

IMPRESSIVE FIGURES

CANADIAN PRODUCTION OF ARMAMENTS } STATEMENT BY MINISTER. MILITARY TRAINING PROPOSALS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright! (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) OTTAWA. July 30. Giving further details in the House of Commons of Canadian progress in the output of armaments, Mr C. D. Howe said Canada was experimenting in the manufacture of aeroplane instruments and metal propellers. It had been decided not to attempt to make engines. Canada recently had produced machine tools in a volume challenging the imagination. The production of manufactured goods was the largest in history, but was small compared with construction, involving a capital cost of 120 million dollars. Canada would have a productive capacity of five hundred millions annually. The munitions programme involves the manufacture of Lee-Enfield rifles, Bren guns, Colt and Brownings aircraft machine-guns, sub-machine-guns, two-pounder anti-aircraft guns, 25 pounder quick-firers, 40 millimeter Bofors anti-tank guns, 3.7 anti-air-craft guns, anti-tank rifles and 20 millimeter Hispano-Suiza aircraft cannon. A very large gun plant, manufacturing twenty-five pounders and heavy naval guns, involving a capital investment of ten millions, will be producing before the end of the year. There were now fourteen plants producing shells, including four millimeter shells, eighteen and twenty-five pounder 3.7 in„ 4.5 in„ Gin. and 9.2 in. shells. The total ammunition orders were for G 9 million dollars’ worth, of which nine millions represented capital expenditure. Orders were being immediately increased by 33 millions, involving the production of several million shells. Orders for small arms ammunition total nineteen million dollars. Explosives plants are to begin in September producing TNT, nitro-cellulose and rifle cordite. The capital investment in these plants is thirty millions. A plant is being constructed for the manufacture of optical glass, gunsight predictors, etc., and the production of aluminium is being doubled. The operation of the entire programme is in the hands of the Allied War Supplies Corporation, which is operating secondary chemical and other industries incidental to the programme and thus is responsible for the administration of new capital investments totalling 110 million dollars. Mi - Howe added that general buying, including clothing, food and equipment for troops, totalled 245 million dollars, of which 217 millions were spent in Canada, 22 millions in the United Kingdom, and 6,700,000 in the United States. Ninety per cent of the Empire Air Scheme facilities are completed An extension of the original plan is under consideration, increasing the programme to 120 separate projects,, of which 77 are being built, requiring 47 new aerodromes and extensions to thirty existing airports. The anticipated cost of 77 already approved is 15,500,000. Last week Canadian factories ' turned out twenty-five aircraft. Mr Gardiner, in the House of Commons, said every unmarried Canadian between 21 and 45 may be compelled to do thirty days’ military training within a year. “There is no reason,” he said, “why Canada should not train one million men and still operate her primary and secondary industries. Possibly the calling up of unmarried men from 21 to 25 may satisfy requirements in the first year. ' The only exemptions will be judges, clergy, police, firemen. Employers will be required under penalty to re-employ trainees.” Mr Gardiner added that Canada was in a better position than ever before to supply foodstuffs to the United Kingdom. All surpluses would be needed sooner or later.