CANADA AND THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1694, 10 March 1913, Page 4

CANADA AND THE NAVY.

There is matter both for regret and rejoicing in the extraordinary political situation which has arisen in Canada. At the momiint of writing, our latest advices are that the Canadian House of Commons is still sitting, all the reoords of stonewalling having been broken, and both parties-apparently as determined as ever to fight the naval question to a finish. It is much to be regretted that the naval policy of Canada should, at the very beginning, be made a party question, and that the discussion of it should be

accompanied by all that heat and small manoeuvring which may be tolerable in matters of local or domes-

tie concern, but which everyone dislikes to Ece-v/hen tho thing in concern is a large Imperial interest. The conflict is primarily a conflict between the Borden policy of a large emergency contribution of warships to the Empire's defence, and what may 'be called the Laurier policy of local Canadian fleet units. We do not call this "the Laurier policy" tout court, for the reason that it was with reluctance, and only under the strong pressure of public opinion, that the Laurier Government at last moved towards tho organisation of a Canadian Navy. Very much as the first formal movement in our own House for the establishment of our defencc system came from the then Opposition, which is the present Government, \so in Canada it was the then Opposition and the then Opposition press which supplied the impulse to tho "Liberal" Government. It is also true that while in .office, Sir Wilfrid Laurier did little to impress the country with the necessity for naval activity, and exhibited little energy in carrying out any plan at all. Perhaps it i 3 not unnatural that a party which has recently been turned out of office after an uninterrupted dominance lasting nearly as long as the dominance of tho so-called "Liberals" in this country should feel exceedingly bitter. But it is not the less discreditable to them for all that. They have attacked Mr. Borden's policy as the policy "tribute," as the revival of coercion by Downing Street. This extreme language is quite absurd, in view of the fact that Mr. Borden has not said anything to lead anyone to believe that he regards his policy as the only one that can be considered at any time in the future. The supporters of the Government, on the other hand, have been equally unfair and absurd in accusing their opponents of "separatist" designs. The present phase of party bitterness will pass, but it is a great misfortune that at the very beginning the politicians of Canada should accuse each other in this way of disregard for either the nation or the Empire. In a recent article, the able Toronto correspondent of the London Times had some interesting comments upon the real state of, Cana-

dian opinion, and upon tho 1 prospoets of the Government's policy. Ho floes not suggest that Canada is bent upon "a continuous policy of contribution":

Probably at bottom (he writes) Canadians believe that we must ultimately crealo a strong national navy and supply men as well a,s money for sea defence. Hut it is undoisfood that years must elapse before wo can secure and train any considerablo body of seamen, build tho more powerful vessels in Canada with economy and cfiiciency, and establish a fleet which would exalt tho prestige of tho Dominion and constitute an effective ally of the Imperial Navy. For theso reasons there is strong feeling that Jlr. Borden's nroliosals fulfil an immediate duty mid discharge an immediate obligation", and that they should, therefore, receive the carbarn! unanimous sanction of Parliament'. It is certain that a course of obstruction would not yield advantage to the Opposition, whatever solid merits Sir Wilfrid Laurior a proposals may bo found to possess yheji we come to settle tho detail

of a permanent policy. For a time it was whispered that tho Senate, in which there is a decisive Liberal majority, would reject the emergency programme. Undoubtedly the suggestion found favour with somo of the extreme Liberal partisans in tho "Upper Chamber. . It was believed that by such action the Government could be driven to dissolve Parliament and go to the country. It has been made clear, however, that the Government will not dissolve even though it is soundly convinced that an appeal to tho constituencies would result favourably. 'With' the certainty that the Government willt not have its course dictated by the Opposition, that all the odium of rejection would fall upon tho Lilxiral party, and that tho emergency propqsals would be resubmitted to Parliament at tile next session. Micro lias come a curious moderation of Liberal opinion, although as yet there is no real prospect of unanimous action by Parliament.

Wo have said that there are compensations as well as disadvantages in the situation in Canada. To Ne,w Zcalanders it ought to be stimulating and instructive to see one of its sister Dominions treating a largo Imperial question as an issue supreme over all the local issues -with which the Dominions have for so long almost wholly concernod themselves The quarrel will force the Canadian people, as nothing else could do, to turn their thoughts largely towards the great principles involved in the whole matter of Imperial co-opera-tion in defence; and it should lead the other Dominions to do some thinking too. When Mr. James Allen returns from London, and with his colleagues considers our own naval policy in the light of, his craversations with tho Admiralty, this country will almost certainly be asked to sanction a step forward. And although some of -tho voices of the Opposition have shown that there will be encouragement for any wing of the "Liberal" party which may seek to make the question a party one, we do not think that there is a majority in the Opposition ready to take up such a wretched attitude in such a way as to assume any responsibility for, it.