MUTUAL AID

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 June 1943, Page 4

MUTUAL AID

TO THE UNITED NATIONS. CANADA’S IMPRESSIVE SHARE. OTTAWA, May 7. Spokesmen of all parties are warmly approving the House of Commons having adopted a financial resolution which gave its first reading to a Bill appropriating one thousand million dollars for mutual aid to the Allies, and the Hon. Jas. L. Ilsley, Minister of Finance, in outlining the purpose of the measure said:

(1) the surplus of Canadan war supplies, including farm products and raw materials, should be made available to the United Nations whether they could pay for them or not. (2) direct reciprocal arrangements for the return in kind or return of unused equipment may be made, but a good and suffeient reason for transferring war supplies to the United Nations would be that such supplies are to be used in joint effective prosecution of the war.

(3) that the Government desires to avoid piling up huge war debts to Canada by the United Nations and that the conditions under which supplies are transferred shall be clearly defined at the time of the transfer.

(4) Canada proposes to deal directly with the various countries requiring mutual aid and not to provide such aid through the agency of another. The Minister of Munitions, the Hon. C. D. Howe, said that Canadian munitions approximating possibly 100,000,000 dollars, had gone to Russia. Large shipments had also gone to China. Criticism came from a small group of Quebec members, The Hon. P. J. A. Cardin opposed what he termed the continuation of a “colonial tribute” to Britain. Mr F. Dorion, Independent, hioved an amendment proposing to raise money by compulsory loan from individuals and companies' with over half a million in assets.

The Deputy-Speaker ruled the amendment out of order. On appeal the House sustained the Deputy-Speaker by 88 votes to 5.