CANADA'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 5

CANADA'S NAVY.

LONC DEBATE ENDS. LAURIER POLICY APPROVED BY THE HOUSE. RACE prejudice. By Tclecraph—Press Association— Copyright (Rec. December 2, 11.45 p.m.) Ottawa, December 2. In tho Dominion Houso . of Commons, Mr. Gilbert, who recently defeated a Laurier candidate in Quebec province, in explaining tho French Canadian attitude on tho naval question, declared that a plebescite ought to have been taken previous to tho formation of a navy. Ho wished to preserve the country's autonomy unaffected, so that the fullest benefit would result from the public expenditure. Oilier, members criticised the existing cruisers, and declared them useless for warfare. The future home-built cruisers, it was declared, would not be better. Amendments disapproving of the Government's policy, and demanding a plebescite, were defeated by a majority of fifty votes. DIFFERENCES IN PARLIAMENT. Ottawa, December 1. In the. Dominion Parliament tlio Min- . istcr of Marine (Hon. L. P. Brodeur) i complained regarding articles published i in tho French' Nationalist. newspapers, . and raised the question of privilege. The newspaper "Lo Devoir" accused i him of intentionally misleading the • House in attributing to "Le Devoir" 1 articles it had never published. Tho Minister acknowledged that "Le Devoir" did not publish tho articles, but alleged that his efror was unintentional. Mr. Blonding, a • French-Canadian, declared tliat Mr. Brodeur had accused him of anti-British speeches during the Quebec election. Ho emphatically denied delivering'the speeches alleged. Tho incident closed without result. The Hon. Mr. Foster accused Sir Wil- ' frid Laurier of not living up to his appeals against race prejudice. 3 ] " 3 At a great demonstration in Montreal on October 10 Sir Wilfrid Laurier do nonnced the young orators of tho "Na B tionaliste" party who were declaring thai t naval service was compulsory. It wai s not so, he said. These men need no ; j enter the naval service even to defeiu a Canadian shores. Neither was it intende< by the Government's . naval policy t< 0 plungo Canada into tlio vortex of Euro 1 peau militarism. Sir Wilfrid read th< s clause in the Naval Act in which it i q set forth that tho naval forco may b placed at tho service of the Kins onl; ' by tho Governor-General-in-Councii, an< 1 ho.laid stress on tlie fact that while"! y was true that when Great Britain wa » at_ war Canada was at war, it did no „ necessarily follow that Canada woul< participate in all tho naval wars in whicl Great Britain might engage, particular!; 0 on the outposts of the Empire., o Tho Premier eloquently disputed th h theory of Mr. Bourassa, tho Nationalis leader, that Canada was not yet a na tion, pointing to tbo fact that Canad; had a population of eight millions am a territory covering half a continent She made her own laws, administered he own aifairs, and made her own treatie of commerce. Therefore, to say Canad; was not a nation \sas to calumniate am belittle tha country in order to escap ;r obligations which her dignity impose