CANADA AND DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 June 1913, Page 5

CANADA AND DEFENCE.

I CABLE NEWS

(United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.)

CHARGE AGAINST SIR WILFRID LAURIER. MR BORDEN SPEAKS PLAINLY. (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) ■■OTTAWA, June 7. Speaking in the Assembly, Mr Borden _ accused Sir Wilfrid Laurier of having packed the Senate with Liberals whom the people had rejected •for the House of Commons. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, in 1896, had favoured appointment to the Senate being based upon the representation of both parties. Throughout the period that since elapsed, he had ~not made a single Conservative appointment. Mr Borden askipd if Sir Wilfrid knew batter than the British Admiralty what the Empire required. Was he in the secrets of. all the Chancellors of the world? When the opportunity offered, Canada would, take over the threi Dreadnoughts now proposed to bts built in England, would' pav for their cost of construction, and would offer them to the King for the Empire's defence. Sir Wilfnid Laurier denied having influenced'the'action of the Senate. He maintained that, despite the action of the Admiralty, no real emergency existed. Mr Mac Donald asserted that it was Mr Bordon's intention to place Canada permanently under the orders of Downing Street.

BRITISH NEWSPAPER COMMENT

A GREAT RESERVE FORCE

(Received Last Nio-ht. 5.5 o'clock.) LONDON, June 7. Several newspapers comment approvingly on Mr Borden's offer to pay for three of the new ships which Britain is now laying down. Th 3 Pall Mall Gazette says Mr Borden expects the patriotic feeling of Canadians, to be moved at being left without a snare in the Empire's defence.

Sir Edward "Clarke, P.C., speaking at tha Shipwrights Company dinner, said that because Canada, for the moment, was not prepared to supply three ships, there was . no„ cause for anxiety. England "had a great reserve force in her private vards, where "warships were always being constructed for other nations. In time of difficulty, it would not be other nations which would get these ships. MR BORDEN'S INTENTIONS. (Rec3ived June 7, 1 p.m.> OTTAWA, June 6. Mr Borden, the Prime Minister, announces that the x Government intends to bring down further lewisla-, tfon providing for the acquirement or construction of three battleships, as provided in the late Navy Bill. Mr Borden has triumphantly nointed to Mr Churchill's declaration that it, was necessary for new Dreadnoughts to bo built. He regretted that a small section of the Liberal Party had Over-ruled the srood sense of the majority to contpel them to resist the country's voice. . WHAT UNIONIST PAPERS SAY. , ACCELERATION WTLL BE INADEQUATE. (Received June 7. . 1 p.m.V LONDON June 6. '■, Several Unionist newspapers maintain that Mr Churchill's acceleration of the building of the three Dread-, noughts will be inadequate. They advocate the starting in 1913 of three additional ships to be.finished in the spring of .1916..' Th?y argue that his speech on "31st March relied on the completion of the Canadian shins to maintain the whole world-protection of the Empire at the end of 1915 or the beginning of 1916. The Westminster-Gazett 3 says : "The Canadian contribution has been, susoended. Meanwhile. _Mr Churchill's acceleration ,y.ill Give time for FirTure adjustments* when Canada's decision is known."