Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1908 EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9132, 29 April 1908, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1908 EDITORIAL NOTES.

TAXATION 'without representation is always an undesirable state of affairs and the feeling against it provides the explanation of the very unsatisfactory condition of the defence of the Empire. -The colonies which are in a sense independent States have never been asked to assist in providing for the cost of the British Army, because it has been felt that their energies and money could be better expended in raising and training military forces of their own. The navy is, however, in a different position and with the exception of Canada, all the self-governing colonies have felt it right that they should make some contribution to the upkeep of the force on which their existence as free nations depends. The amount of the subsidy provided has, however, been far less than it should have been on a proportionate basis, owing not so much to meanness or lack of interest in national defence

as to the fact that the colonies have no power of controlling the expenditure of the money contributed. The attitude of Canada as described in a recent speech of Sir F. W. Borden, Minister of Defence, appears to be of a most illogical character, Canada, he said, would subscribe nothing to the navy in the manage - ment of which it had no part, but the Government jwould devote all its attention to the land forces, so that in case of war Canada would be able to send men to fight for the Empire in any part of the world. As Canada would have no voice in deciding whether war was to be declared it is hard to see why she should be prepared to offer men for service in this way while she is unwilling to give any support to the navy which is certainly necessary for her existence. Possibly the condition not stated is that the Canadian Government must approve of the objects of a war before providing assistance. Such a provision would not lighten the burden on Britain in auy way as she could not save a single penny, trusting *to support which might not come forward at the critical moment. It is to be hoped that the next Conference of Premiers will succeed in making some arrangement by which all parts of the be able to hear their fair share of the charges of defence and at the same time feel that they have some part in/leoiding how the money is to he spent and when the military and naval forces a?e to he employed.

THE great historic celebration which is to be held in Quebec next July will commemorate the fact that three hundred years have passed since the great French • explorer Champlain founded the city which became the capital of branch Canada, and the centre of that French colonial empire which was long to struggle with us for the mastery of North America. I) or almost half of the time which has since gone by the standard of the Bourbons fiew over the walls of Quebec. Then after one of Those combats equally glorious to the victors and the vanquished, it was lowered by the genius, the daring, and the fortune of Wolfe. The victory of the Heights of Abraham—the scene of y| which Canada is now trying to acquire as a public park drove the armies of the French Kings from Canada, and by liberating the North American colonies from the dread of French conquest made possible the rise of the United States. While through our '.own blindness and incapacity we lost the greater number of our North - American colonies, the French inhabitants of our newly-annexed possessions remained faithful to our rule, under which they had been guaranteed the free exercise of the Roman Catholic religion and equal civil and commercial privileges with British subjects. The two races have grown side by side, the descendants of the French colonists still using their mother tongue and adhering to their old faith. In July the two races will unite to celebrate the struggle now so happily ended and in a manner to announce to the world the existence of the Canadian nation, which is neither British nor French, though its members are loyal subjects of the British King. Our Canadian brethren have our full sympathy in their rejoicing and we cannot but cast our thoughts forward to the time when our newly-created Dominion will have reached its tercentenary, and wonder what part our descendants will then be playing in the history of the world.