OPTION OF WAR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 5

OPTION OF WAR.

NO COMPULSION FROM WITHIN THE EMPIRE. BUT AN ENEMY MAY FORCE THE ISSUE* > THE CANADIAN NAVY. Uy Teloeraph-Fresi Aasodsition-CoDyrlebt. . (Bee. April 22, 9.40 p.m.) .-, ■ London, April 22. Commenting on Sir Wilfrid Laurior's Navy Bill, and its underlying principle (which is, to use Sir Wilfrid's own words, that "tho Parliament of which creates the Canadian Navy, shall say when and where it shall.go to war"), "The. Times" says: "The principle that national armaments must be at the disposal of the Parliaments building and maintaining them i≤ a fundamental condition of all co-operation in Imperial defence, but Sir Wilfrid Laurier's argument tends to obscure the fact'that although compUsioa, to'take part in Imperial wan cannot come from within tho Empire, it may come from without.' If the Empire be at war, Canada is at war, though she does not participate in the actual hostilities. It • is truo that Canada had no direct interest' in tho Crimean War,' but Russia would not have considered herself debarred from raiding the Canadian coasts. , "These actual responsibilities.are involved in any system of Imperial' partnership. They were directly recognised by Mr. A. Fisher (when Prime Minister of the : Commonwealth) on behalf of Australiai ■We consider that Mr. R. L. Borden (Leader of : the Canadian Opposition) is justified in insisting that they should bo recognised in tie Canadian ; Navy Bill." .-."';'-.. '~' .