CANADA AND THE COMMONWEALTH

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25083, 15 January 1947, Page 7

CANADA AND THE COMMONWEALTH

FORMAL COMMITMENT OPPOSED

RELIANCE ON “COMMON UNDERSTANDING ”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Bee. 7 pun.) OTTAWA, January 13. Canada seeks to preserve her association with the British Commonwealth as an instrument through which we, with others sharing our objective, can co-operate for our common good in peace and in war,” said the Canadian Minister of External A^ alrs (Mr Louis St. Laurent). On the other hand, we should continue to resist efforts to reduce to formal terms or to specify the commitments of this association, which has demonstrated its vitality through the common understanding on which it is based. "We should likewise oppose developments in our Commonwealth relations which might be inconsistent with our desire to participate fully in the task of building an effective international organisation on a wider scale.” Mr St. Laurent added that Canadians had taken the final decision to remain outside the United States, and S? e f e t w ? s 9° lon S er a b°dy of opinion tnat looked towards annexation The people of the United States had come to the parallel conclusion that they would not extend their boundaries beyond the present limits.