Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 9, 1940, Winnipeg, Manitoba Page fourteen Winnipeg free press saturday March 9, 1940 Flat denial govt. Did not delay air plan says King Ottawa. March 9. Minister Mackenzie King last night denied charges that failure of the Dominion govern ment to co operate with the United kingdom in affording air training facilities in Canada Early in 1938 had delayed agree ment on the Commonwealth air training plan and retarded development of Canadian aircraft manufacture. In 15-minute address Over a National network of the Canadian broadcasting corporation the prime minister said Hon. R. J. Manion. Conservative Leader and his associates had misrepresented facts which were Well known to or. Manion and were a matter of pub Lic record. The air training scheme now being developed in the Dominion by Canada Britain. Australia and new zealand has made Canada a Pivotal Centre of the British pm the prime minister said. The Commonwealth plan could not possibly have been evolved in peace time. It could not have been developed sooner. No earlier Dis Cussion or decision could have affected our military and financial position under the agreement As it was finally the agreement reached with the United kingdom in 1838 to train 51 British pilots a year for three years was All that had been intended in peace time the prime minister said. He ridiculed or. Manion s i suggestion that if the United King Dom had been permitted to establish its own schools in 1938 it would have Start Royal air Force men to the Domin Ion immediately at the rate of a year. This figure will 1 believe be found to represent More than 10 times the number of pilots trained in tiie United kingdom in peace time in any year prior to the the prime minister said. The Leader of the opposition and his associates keep on mis stating the facts concerning the training of British pilots in Canada and can Ada s vital contribution to the plan itself. Misrepresentation of this kind cannot assist the prosecution of Canada s War Effort. It May do an infinite amount of harm to the Allied the prime minister quoted or. Manion As saying in parliament last Jan. 25 that by july 1, tonally i think it goes Back to 1937 the British had been Over Here pleading with the prime minister to Sive them the right As one of the partners in the Empire to establish air training schools in Canada to train British this declaration he said had been repeated frequently by or. Manion and his supporters during the present political Campaign. Wholly incorrect the statement is wholly incorrect. Once again i ask or. Manion to specify who the British were who came to plead with me when they came and exactly what was the nature of their pleading. No British came to Canada pleading with the prime minister in 1537, 1938, or in any other in May of 1938. The prime minis Ter said. Sir Francis Floud then British High commissioner in can Ada told him the British govern ment wished to explore the possibility of sending to Canada for further training m Canada some British air pilots who had already received training in the United the British government had wished to ascertain if there would be any objection to such training in Canada in establishments to be of Vnod maintained and controlled by Britain. I Clid not gather from him that there was so much As a suggestion of any plan for the general training of British pilots in Canada. Partner ship in the Empire was never mentioned. Involved certain questions i pointed out to the British High commissioner that apart from any possible controversy which might arise for the government of the United kingdom to own maintain control and direct any air training establishment in Canada would involve certain questions of jurisdiction and administration. I explained that our position in the British Commonwealth demanded that All military establishments in Canada should be under control of the Canadian government. With that stand believe All True canadians Wil the prime minister said lie had offered with approval of his col leagues to have facilities for advanced training of British air provided under control o the Canadian defence department myself in the House of commons on july 1. 1938, almost immediately after the conversations them selves had taken place. Facts Are on record the facts Are on record. They Are True a contradicted and in Contrad Citable. To person in this Dominion has any excuse whatever for misrepresenting the prime minister read an extract from the British Hansard quoting sir Kingsley Wood Secretary of state for air stating this offer had been made by Canada expressing appreciation and advising the House an officer was being sent to Canada to explore farther the possibilities of such a scheme. This expert came to Canada soon after and completed arrange ments whereby the British govern mint undertook to Send 50 pilots a year for three years for advanced training in Canadian air Force schools. An appropriation of was added to air Force estimates for this purpose and to expand the air Force in Canada. The British government itself Canada in 1ac the quota at 50 pilots de sending As j representing All it was proposed to Send to Canada or. King said. Although these facts were on the records of or Manion had charged in the House of commons last Jan. 25, that All we were going to permit the Brit ish to Send across were 50 a he quoted or. Manion As saying that if the Canadian government had agreed to the first proposal they would have brought Over their British Young men to train at the rate of a year. If that figure is an exaggeration it is sir Kingsley Wood s exaggeration not says Manion in error or. King said or. Manion was in error As sir Kingsley Wood had not mentioned any number in his announcement on the proposed Empire training scheme made last october. The figures or. Manion quoted As being sir Kingsley Woods were not used by sir Kingsley Wood at All. The prime minister said or. Manion had repeated his claim that the training scheme would have Given Canada a great aircraft Industry. This Industry he and others Are now saying has been lost to Canada and is being developed instead in the United states and in great he quoted or. Manion Assa Ying the British set up plane manufacturing plants which they came Over Here to establish in and agents came to Anada with orders for but because of the cold reception their proposals refused to let any contracts. Further misrepresentation the statement that As a result of alleged refusal of training facilities the British did not set up manufacturing plants which they intended to establish in Canada is not Only a further misrepresentation of facts but it is an insult to the British government. The British government made no attempt to bribe Canada with orders for two British aircraft missions visited Canada in 1938 and after studies and conferences the visits resulted in the organization of a representative co operative group of Canadian aircraft manufacturers for the manufacture of bomber plans. Initial orders were immediately placed. Canada s aircraft Indus try has since made marked pro Gress. Only yesterday sir Kings Ley Wood told the British House of commons that the first military aircraft manufactured in Canada for the British government Hac already been flown. He added that Large additional orders Hac been placed in Canada. Or. Manion and his associate Are now saying that the Grea British Commonwealth air train ing plan would have been further advanced and would have cos Canada less had the Canadian government not refused to accept the proposals which or. Manion continues to allege were made by the British government. Not in peacetime i have proved to you that no such proposals were made. Apar All this was fully explained by from this however the common does he prefer to look the other Way because your appearance is marred psoriasis if this is one of the phases of a problem you face Why not see what Siro can do Lor your psoriasis certainly it is sensible to give sir Oil Chance. Sir Oil tends to remove the crusts and Scales of psoriasis which Are external m character and located on outer layer of skin. If or when you Nasis lesions recur Light tool cation of sir Oil will help keep them unde tool. Applied sir Oil docs rot stain clothing or bed Linen r does it interfere in any Way with your daily routine. Offered to you of a two weeks write today for free Booklet Stroh. Laboratories of Canada. Ltd., dept. 4-c. T. O. Hos 4m. Ont. Addre.19 City wealth plan could not possibly have been evolved in peacetime. It could not have been developed sooner. No earlier discussion or decision could have affected our military and financial position under the agreement As it was Fin ally signed. As i mentioned in a previous broadcast the Commonwealth plan was not projected until about a month after the outbreak of War. It was put Forward by the British War Cabinet after the Swift domination of Poland by Germany had demonstrated the decisive importance of Superior air Power. The fact that can Ada s action in 1938 and 1939, the surveys which were then made and the questions of jurisdiction which were then determined settled the principle upon which any plan of joint training would be organized and controlled. The development of the present plan was materially assisted and accelerated by our action at that first division Well equipped states Ralston Kingston out., March 9. Hon. J. L. Ralston Federal minister of finance disclosed last night that the first Canadian overseas division went to England with a full outfit of Light and heavy machine guns 18-Pounder Field guns and medium runs. In addition to rifles and per Sonal eau moment. Answering opposition criticism directed at the eau cent of troops now in England the minister for the first time made Public the Quantity of arms sent with the Canadian troops. He spoke at a meeting in Sun oort of Hon. Norman Mcl. Rogers minister of National defence and government candidate in Kingston up to the present the Only official information of the subject was the fact that the troops were fully equipped As to rifles uniforms and accessories such As blankets shaving its and other gear. In a Short time. Or. Ralston said deliveries of Bren Light machine runs will Start from the John Inglis company at Toronto. Instead of 1.000 runs deliverable in the year starting april 1, the government will receive 2.000 from the Toronto Lant. As Bren guns become deliverable they will replace the Lewis guns with which the division s now equipped and which Are not obsolete. Text of statement the text of or. Ralston s state ment on equipment follows regarding the unit equipment that is the armament and the trans port apparently there is criticism because All that material was not ready in Canada to be sent Over seas with the division. Well it was t ready and if people would Stop to think i do not think anybody will seriously suggest that we should have had motor vehicles for instance on the shelf waiting to be sent overseas. As a matter of fact considering the Speed with which fashions in Mili tary equipment change it is quite possible a vehicle that had been made a year ago would not be the latest pattern today. But what was the situation with regard to this unit equipment for the division i think we did remarkably Well. First with regard to motor trans port there Are probably vehicles including Bren gun carriers. Considerable of it had to be specially designed. The orders have been placed and 95 per cent of the motor transport required for the division will be supplied from Canada and of this 95 per cent All except Bren gun carriers will it is confidently expected be sent Over in time to go with the division to France. Within few Days As a matter of fact some of it will probably be shipped within a very few Days. The Bren gun carriers will be supplied by the United kingdom in the first instance and those we Are making Here will be sent to the British for replacement. Regarding Field ambulances the Chassis went Over with the troops and we arc Settine the United King Dom to out on the bodies to make them uniform in design with their ambulances. Has been a lot of Talke about runs. Our Field artillery went Complete with 72. Eighteen Pounder runs converted and put on pneumatic tires in similar fashion to the Way the British have converted their Mark 2 s. Good shape they were in Good shape in every respect. Many of them had Only been used in proof tests. The 25 Pounder gun is a later gun. The 18-Pounder is still in use and giving Good and ammunition for this very weapon is being made in Canada today for the allies. I Hope we can change to 25-Pounders in due course. Medium guns we sent Over the full complement for the Battery. Four of our 60 Pound howitzers Are being exchanged with the British Eor six Inch howitzers so that the Battery will be of uniform Type. Vickers machine guns the Divi Sion took with them Lewis guns up to the full number called for by the new establishment that is 50 per battalion instead of 16 As formerly. When Bren guns Are available they will be substituted but Don t think that even if canadians take Lewis guns to France they will be the Only troops thus equipped. The Lewis gun is not obsolete by any Means. In connection with this matter of Light machine guns let me remind you that under the Bren gun con tract which was so severely criticized Canada is to get guns within the next year beginning april. There was no fixed Date for first delivery. Instead of it will interest you to know that from the forecasts now made by the technical officers we will have instead of 1.000 runs delivered in this first year and deliveries will commence in a very Short time. Anti tank rifles and anti tank guns will be supplied in England. They Are not being produced Here. Wireless equipment some of this equipment will be cry Oduces Here and some in England. I have not run through the whole list of this unit equipment but i think this information May help to dispel any idea that no provision was made for this unit equipment we be got a Lovely War to Sang men of the City of Toronto Squadron r.c.a.f., As they marched Down the gangplank of a English port. Now the song is be coming popular in London. The words were by Pilot officer Harry Ashley Hornell shown Here and the music by Pilot officer Wil Liam Middleboro. For the troops in addition to per Sonal eau moment. And let me Sav this that i have been present and taken part in a great Manv conferences with regard to the subject of production in Canada. 1 know the work which has been put on it can assure you that the officers of the depart ment of National defence the War Supply Board and the minister of transport Hon. C. D. Howe Are fully alive to seize every Opportunity to make provision for equip ment of our troops by manufacture in Canada so far As that is practicable and possible. Mobilized efficiently in his speech or. Ralston said Anada had mobilized swiftly and efficiently to do her share at the Side of Britain and France. The military establishment of this do minion had been multiplied 10 times within a few months. Four contingents three of them army contingents and one from the air Force had been sent overseas and some men had been mobilized to defend Canadian coasts. In preparing this new War Effort the Canadian government had sought to avoid the mistakes of the first great War but or. Ralston remarked that he could not condemn what had been done then since conditions had been vastly Dif Ferent from the present. He referred to the Canadian offi Cial War history by the late sir Andrew i Mcphail who wrote that Speed in passing troops overseas to England was the sole principle in mobilization. Canada and the world must not miss the spectacle and the advertisement of a new this time the finance minister said there were no cheer ing crowds to watch the troop trains Speed by no bands to Send our soldiers on their Way. The modern Way was to proceed More slowly but More carefully so that first great War confusion in supplies and organization could be avoided. As an instance medical examination now was More thorough. In Mav. 1915. Canadian soldiers were being returned from England As unfit according to sir Andrew. Troops in training on Salisbury Plain suffered from influenza enteritis and meningitis. Summing it up sir Andrew had said that mobilization really took place on Salisbury Plain after the men had been tested by cold and the essential difference declared or. Ralston was that in this War reasonable and effective preparation is not sacrificed to Speed and Canada s determination to do a Good Job overrides the temptation to be w. Rupert Davies who introduced col. Ralston said it had been alleged that or. Rogers was not a Good minister of labor in his term in that Post. I want to say he was the Best and most humane minister of labor this country Ever or. Davies said. He was promoted to the position of minister of National de Fence because he Good minis Ter of or. Davies said he spoke from personal knowledge because he served on a Board of conciliation appointed by or. Homers to Deal with a dispute Between the Cana Dian press and its Telegraph operators. As a result of or. Rogers sympathetic support the Board was Able. To Avert a costly strike and both parties became better friends than Ever before. Rogers Speaks or. Rogers said participation in the War involved careful Organiza Tion. On the advice of the allies the government from the first pre pared for a struggle lasting at least three years. The Canadian Navy with a Fleet. Of modern destroyers was ready to defend Canadian coasts and he added we now have a naval build ing programme in Canada based upon the belief the War will last three years and our determination that our naval defences will be equal to any Call that May be made upon or. Rogers linked the name of Premier Mitchell Hepburn with the names of . George a. Drew Ontario conservative Leader and or. Manion As critics of the government. On election Day he said the people would have before them the record of leadership of the government and also the criticism levelled against it by or. Hep Burn or. Manion and col. Drew. Clear of politics claims Haley Sydney mines , March 9. Revenue minister Hon. J. L. Illey told a political meet ing last night the government s War Effort has been kept Clear of he said he was convinced that in this respect there could be no criticism of the prosecution of the War. The nazi broadcasts of Premier Mitchell Hepburn s statements concerning the St Thomas air train ing school of the Royal Canadian air he said show How right Hon. Norman Rogers minister of National defence was when he said i Premier Hepburn by his spreading of false rumours was one of the greatest threats to Canadian or. Ilsley said conservative Leader had charged the govern ment with inefficiency and extend ing patronage in the Purchase of a privately owned property near Vancouver. The minister said the Purchase Price for this property had been set by the exchequer court of Canada. War Effort real Issue says Gardiner Victoria March 9. Ful prosecution of the War is the one real Issue of the Federal elec Tion Hon. James g. Gardiner do minion minister of agriculture told a Victoria audience in the chamber of Commerce auditorium last night. He reviewed the policies of Vari Ous parties in parliament asserting that the new democracy social credit party favored conscription of finance and Industry and nil the words implied As Well As manpower. The . Believed Canada s poli cies in the War should first be based on the fundamental interests of Canada to defend its own shores and that any assistance sent Over seas should be Tion for the allies at a Price and no conscription said or. Gardiner. This party would take profit out of Industry if it were in Power but advocated putting Canadian labor to work to provide supplies for the allies at a eur Oft. There was no difference of opinion Between the liberals and conservatives As to sending a Force overseas but or. Manion claimed the liberals were not As enthusiastic As they should be continued the agriculture minister. Manion says there Are two or. Kings Charlottetown March 9. The people of Canada Are beginning to realize there Are two Mackenzie Kings Hon. R. J. Manion. Conserva Tive Leader last night told a rally of Prince Edward Island supporters. Before More than persons who overflowed the strand theatre Many coming in on three special trains or. Manion described the prime minister As an idealist and progressive when out of Power a politician and reactionary in Power. Or. King he said was the Man who talks National Unity but who through his lieutenants Fosters Dis Unity the Man who advocates progressive social legislation on the eve of an who is a real reactionary when he gets into a Posi Tion to put the social legislation into effect the Man who promises to protect the common who lines up with the big interests the Man who preaches the rights of who puts a lawyer or a professor in charge of that department and who appoints no representatives of labor on the War boards or commissions the Man who has been talking unemployment insurance since 1919 who Falls Back on the Constitution As a reason for inaction the Man who is a disciple of the supremacy of parliament yet who hesitate to parliament for Petty political Pur poses the Man who on the night after the election of 1935, promised a new Era for the workers but who has since done nothing for the unemployed and the youth of our attacking Liberal Campaign meth ods or. Manion charged one unnamed Liberal candidate in Quebec had told constituents if or. Manion was elected they would be con scripted and sent to the front while the English would stay at the rear. The conservative Leader then re viewed the agricultural programme he outlined in an earlier address. While All governments had made various attempts to Aid agriculture the chief need now was markets at reasonable prices both Home and Home markets were the chief outlet. Moderate tariffs could protect that Market without in creasing prices. This was not Only the agricultural policy of the National conservative party which i Lead but of the National government which i am Macpherson quotes letters of complaint Regina March 9. Parade of 400 men of the Royal Canadian air Force stationed at St. Thomas ont occurred on feb. 10, according to an extract from a letter written by one of the men to his brother in Regina read be fore an audience of More than 800 people at a conservative Campaign meeting Here last night by m. A. Macpherson k.c., Regina Candi Date. Or. Macpherson said there had been a great Deal in the press about certain incidents in St. Thomas. He was not concerned with the quarrel of prime minister King and his erstwhile Friend Hepburn or. Macpherson said except that it had served to reveal certain facts. Thursday night or. Macpherson was nominated conservative candidate for Regina. Friday morn ing or. Macpherson told his Audi ence he had received three Calls from a Mother of a boy in St. Thomas one from the Friend of a boy who had returned from St. Thomas to Regina and the third from a Regina who had produced two letters from his brother in St. Thomas. Quotes letter it was from the two letters that or. Macpherson quoted. He said the writer had enlisted in the r.c.a.f., on oct. 23, 1939. A letter written feb. 3, 1940, contained the following statements i Haven t had so much As a suit of underwear nor a shirt and still no uniform outside of a great coat and a hat. Not half of the men Are properly clothed and still they expect us to stand outside on Parade and shiver while waiting for the officer of the Day to put in an appearance. They Tell us they can t get uniform and still at the same time anyone who has the Money and is foolish enough so can go to the Mili tary stores in London and buy a the quotation read by Macpherson from a letter written feb. 11, 1940 by the same writer said four Hundred of us staged a protest Parade yesterday after Din Ner. We just marched out of the let s get through with this sort of said or. Macpherson. Let s get rid of a government that buries its head in the Sand in Drew charges plans of Arsenal missing Vancouver March 9. Up a charge that detailed plans for establishment of a Complete government Arsenal at que., disappeared from the files of the depart ment of National defence was made yesterday by George a. Drey Ontario conservative Leader. The Vak arlier Arsenal was worked out ii detail by prime min ister r. A col. Drew told a luncheon audience of 700. The plans were removed from the department of National my own he said that when the commis Sion investigating the Bren gun contract sought the plans a memorandum was filed by the depart ment of defence that the plans referred to were not. Definite plans. That statement is not True. I have had those plans in my own col. Drew s charge was made after he criticized the Bren gun contract declaring it was a departure from the principle set out by the Ben Nett government in there should be an end of private profit in the making of weapons War. Prime minister Mackenzie King and . Leader j. S. Woodsworth both supported the principle col. Drew said and so far As the House of commons knew the policy was still in Force. Bowman says War just smoke screen the Liberal administration of Premier w. L. Mackenzie King was using the War As a smoke screen Over the record of the government prior to the outbreak of the War Hon. J. L. Bowman conservative Dauphin declared in a radio speech Friday night. No government in Canadian his tory Ever did More for the Western Farmers than the last conservative government under Premier r. B. Bennett and most of the measures adopted have since been discarded by the King government he con tended. In 1935, Liberal campaigners promised lower implement prices to Farmers but prices have actually risen considerably or. Bowman said. A 82ven-foot Binder in cart the in 19n. On the other i prices were probed Kcf and int tend of Ott per Bushel minimum Farmers now were gun 70 cents and this Only t mined opposition to t minimum. The Liberal party i had increased the Lux per cent after the six per cent tax week St r Force when it came government expand Ittu were spent in the last year of Nett government act tit to reduce expenditures. Cahan says ignored by Montreal March 9. Up minister Mackenzie i it the necessity of All can respective of their party i uniting in a supreme in fort to win the War Cahan National gave Mai Date in Montreal St. George charged tonight minute broadcast from radio station. In Thi i time of in crisis the prime the necessity of All respective of their party i uniting in a supreme to bring this War to conclusion and he Cess Hii partisans As to object which he and hit have in the Day before Caius War on Germany or. Kit cleared very definitely co operate e with conservative party in i Effort to unite the Ada and so enable this preserve and defend the Canada is Well As to or defend the liberties of n the conservative party to representatives in. Tin commons then Public Lar self to co operate with t government of Yective prosecution of and to ensure Unity of insisted upon the Corapi lion of the partisan pot cities of its in and of its party 01 throughout the Dominion. That pledge waste adhered to until the Sonal pledge and parliament on the very its members were sum Niox majesty to meet for the in the Flonn lowly Jurod Trokic Jorch mrs. G. Murray i , March 9. Gerald Murray 92, Rev. Gerald Murray Robims lie Bishop of Saska her Home Here yeast Erdity Long la2ce Captain Al Toronto March 9. Up John Dix 82, retired i master died yesterday ;