CANADA IN WAR-TIME

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 715, 14 January 1910, Page 5

CANADA IN WAR-TIME

LAURIER'S PLEDGE. THE NEW NAVY:,ITS CONTROL •' \ AND CALIBRE.. ;■ ATTACK BY OPPOSITION LEADER. By Telegraph—Press Association—OoD.vrielit. - (Rec. January 13,10 p.m.) ' • Ottawa, January 13. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime.' Minister, has introduced into the Canadian House ' of Commons the Naval Service.Bill. Tho Bill is on'the lines of the Canadian 1 Militia Act,' and; includes a permanent force, ,a ; reserve, and volunteer | forces. , No naval conscription is' provided for. ; The force'will be under the adminifitra- • tion of the Marine Department (Minister, ■ the Hon. L. P. Brodcur), but will bo un- '. der ..the immediate control of a Naval i Controller advised' by. a Naval Board. 1 Pensions will be, provided and a naval > college will bfe. established similar tb the' Royal Military'College'at Kingston.. : [At the Royal Military College at Kingston, Ontario, Canada, a cadet may fit himself; foria commission in the Imperial Army, as well, as: in the Canadian . Permanent Forco.] '- ; The Canadian l fleet which is to be constructed .under the Act . will be composed -of: , . • Pour- ships of tho Bristol class (second-' .class:.cruisers,. 4800 tons, 430 ft. .;';longi ;!47ft. . beam, -lSJffc. draught,. .25.knots). ;'. '. • ' ••,' One ship of the Boadicea type ' ' ofuiser, 3300 tons, 385 ft. long, 41ft. beam, 131 ft., draught, 25 knots, • . • armed with six -t-inch guns). . 1 Six improved destroyers of the River '. 1 .V.typo (550 tons, 225 ft. long,! 23} ft. '; ; beam',,. 10ft. draught:.>2si.- knots; 7 four 12-pounder guns). . . The. total cost of these ships will be . This '. amount will bo increased by 22 per cent, if the, ships are constructed in Canada. ..The''appropriation . for , the first' year will:)be 3,000,000 dollars (,fGOO,COO). The Prime' Minister announced that the Government 'intended to - begin .building., th 6 ; ships.in Canada as soon as possible. ; ;.':. .Position of; Fleet in Case of War. . ' In case of emergency/the Goyerninent ,- may, jby" Order-in-Council, place the fleet at the King's .disposal for'.; tho ■ general Royal Navy. '•;If this ; action is taken when , Parliament is..not: sitting, • Parliament ; must be summoned within fifteen days. '; Mr. T. Si' Sproulo raised tho ■■■■! question Whethfer "omerooncy". meant war in Canada or abroad. 'Sir Wilfrid Laurioi* replied: '!War anywhere. If Britain Is at ' war with any nation in the world, Oahada is liable to invasion, and Canada is at war." t • Mr. R. t' Borden,' Leader of the ,Coni scrvatiyo'. Opposition, in ,'a.remarkable specch .twitted Sir Wilfrid Laurier .with; f still-holding views in favour of Canadian ; ; independence, as was shown by .his recent! , declaration' that proposed \ Canadian Navy should not go to war ;. uialess • tlio. ; .Canadian Parliament;, cho'so to send , it. : Mr. Borden declared: ;.' , "This declaration . means; th# ; complete severance of ; every tie ' . now binding Canada' to the' Empire; but before tHe British flag Is lowered on Canadian soil, ■ : some i millions of Canadians will v know the.reason why,", </. ;■ i : • 'contrasted ■'notidti' with that of Australia and Now. Zealand,.; . which had responded.'fully; to';tie f: Ad- . miralty's suggestion for floet units, whilo ■ Canada ::hodged. j; . Austoalasiats response,'; in proportion to its population, was sovon : times that of Canada.; He continued: . "Sir Wilfrid Laurier's'proposals,.are too. imdch 'foran'; exporitaenfc ! 'and ' too little for immediate).', offeSt.; The speediest organisation would not make the proposed, :Navy'., effectivo.beforq .'fifteen years,' and a. crisis would. como within five. . Possibility of War with Germany "Very Real." ; . "Tho . possibility ', of warVwith' ; Germany ■ :is. very real. Germany; has. boldly, chal.lenged Britain's supremacy: on; the ocean, 'and; Britain' has ;no". right ; to recent that challenge.'-'... , : . '■ ; Mr.',Borden, quotedjthe speeches,of Mr. Asquith (Prime Minister),' Mr. MTCenna (First Lord bf : and Sii? Edward Grey (Secretary for. Foreign ;Af-. .fairs) made :on . March 10 last year, and : went on to■ sayl . j. "If the Germans provo themselves the greater raco, they are ■; entitled to supremacy oh sea and ■■ , land. German naval supremacy', without firing a shot, would bring: i tho Empiroj.to an ,end; and if, • Canada is * true to hersilf she will v not fail in the day of the Empire's peril, but will stand in tho: 'forofront with her sister nations. "We have the resources, and, ■ ■ • I trust, the patriotism to provide .- • a floot unitj or at least a Dread- . nought, without a moment's unnecessary delay. This Is oUr duty to the country and to the_ Em-. . : '.pire." . •: . Sir -Wilfrid Latirier's speech was brief owing (o, tho.' unexpected■ .illness of tiie.. Minister for Marine, the.Hon.;- L.v-P., Brodeur.' .Mr. Brodour. is suffering from Intestinal ' - nicer, accompanied .with hemorrhage, and gravo anxiety is felt as to'his condition. ;; ; , ..