WHERE CANADA?

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1938, Page 11

WHERE CANADA?

IF WAR BREAKS OUT.

DOMESTIC PROBLEMS. PROVINCIAL DIFFERENCES. Should Great Britain become involved in a European war it would be three weeks before the Canadian Government would be in a position to define its policy. This was the statement made to Auckland Rotarians to-day by Professor F. R. Scott, who holds a chair of law at McGill University, Montreal. The speaker dealt fully with the economic and political problems which faced Canada at present, showing how difficult it was under existing circumstances for the head of a Government to take a clear stand in regard to foreign policy. The Prime Minister. Mr. W. L. MacKenzie King, had laid it down as a first principle of foreign policy that it must be such as would maintain the unity of Canada.

The present Government was not in a position to say what support it would receive for a particular foreign policy, and Parliament would have to be convened before definite action could be taken.

After stressing the mixed nature of the Canadian population, he said there was a substantia! section which objected to the Government taking a strong line in the defence of conditions in Europe.

After stressing the diverge nature of the various communities in .the various provinces of Canada, the speaker said that because of the serious internal differences it was difficult for Canada to take as clear a line as some might wish to see taken in foreign matters. Government* could never hope to get uniformity in the various provinces until the constitution had been adhered to to bring them into harmony. ! Until something approaching unitv had been gained amongst the various political parties, representing a great diversity of provincial interests, it would be difficult for any Government to take a clear line in foreign affairs. The speaker also dealt with Canada's internal problems, and stated that the time appeared to have come when the farmers of the West would demand the eame class of production for their grain as was giver in the East to manufacturing industries. There were, he said still 900.000 people, including women 'and children, on pubjie relief, and it wa« not realised that the State had a permanent, not a temporary, problem to face in this regard.