CANADIAN GARRISON

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 258, 30 July 1942, Page 5

CANADIAN GARRISON

Stormy Debate In Ottawa OTTAWA, July 28. Amid tumult and shouting, serious allegations were made in the House of Commons respecting the Hong Kong expeditionary force and the Duff Commission of Inquiry regarding it. Mr. Howard Green, a Conservative member from British Columbia, said that the Duff inquiry into the Hong Kong expedition revealed that the Canadian force which was sent to China on. October 27 was only partly trained. The men had not been taught the use of certain ; weapons which they were expected to ] use, and some of them had not even handled them. Mr. Green moved a motion which said that the evidence at the inquiry revealed convincing proof of the incapacity of the responsible military authorities and demonstrated the immediate need for comprehensive reorganization of the Defence Department. The Minister of Defence, Mr. Ralston, said that Major-General Schmidhn. Quartermaster-General, was relieved of his [iost before the commission was held. This was in reply to Mr. Boucher, Connervative member for Ontario, who complain* ed that General Schmidlin had been condemned without a hearing because he would not give evidence to the commission. , The Duff report criticized the Quarter-master-General’s department foi failure to get mechanical transport to Vancouver in time to accompany the Hong Kong expedition. In the course of today's debate, an Ontario Liberal member, Mr. [toss Macdonald. retailiated by charging that Colonel Drew bad held up production ot Bren guns in Canada for at least a year. Drew is one of the chief critics of the Duff report.