The Hemisphere: Downgraded Airmen

During World War II the Royal Canadian Air Force auxiliary sparked Canada's 200,000-man air buildup; its pilots trained and led combat squadrons overseas. But today its 5,000 part-time airmen, flying on weekends and vacations, must make do with Harvard trainers, prop-driven Mustangs, and a few obsolescent Vampire jets. Without making any official announcement, Canada's defense chiefs have decided to count out the weekend warriors as an essential part of the nation's shield against atomic attack.

The defense chiefs' reasoning: for all their enthusiasm and World War II experience, the auxiliary pilots and...

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