ITS BASIC PRINCIPLES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1927, Page 9

ITS BASIC PRINCIPLES

HOW CANADA STANDS

PRIME MINISTEB'S SPEECH

(United Press Association.—Copyright.) OTTAWA, 3rd February. In a speech at Toronto, the Prime Minister, Mr. Mackenzie King, said: "While it is not in one sen^e true that in respect of the constitutional | position of Brijh,-' " """■ tain and the Do- &£ t'^~~ . minions the Imy * perial " Confer--1 ence established , t «», r *. nothing new, it V ' " is equally trua 1 • ' that it had given ' \ ~m*~ i a new force and ■■rtl " /v meaning to the i J£atXji '-- j jk established posiWK&L *"» "' *2 tion- That P°si" Hk| t» ''1^39 ticm TLOW carrie^ - -^^^^S Imperial CouferMr. IViackenzie King.ence> voi<>ing in one note of common agreement the opinion of all parts of the' British Empire as to the basic principles on which the Empire rested." The Premier said he would reserve for discussion in Parliament what lie had to say on the subject of defence. AVIATION AND DEFENCE. _ Eeferring to tho importance of aviation, Mr. Mackenzie King said: "Believing as I do in the great significance of aviation, alike for military and Civil purposes, I feel it incumbent upon us as a nation to foster the wise and wide development of this service. I am profoundly impressed by the significance of the almost limitless possibilities of aviation and wireless communications in times of peace and war alike. No nation that cares for' its commerce or its people can afford to be indifferent to many considerations of which they compel us to take account."

j CANADA AHEAD. Referring to the Imperial Conference, Mr. King said: "We believed before we left for England that Canada was a self-governing community, within the British Empire, enjoying complete autonomy, and in no way subordinate to other parts of the Empire with respect to her own domestic and external affairs, that in these matters the Parliament of Canada was supreme. We had therefore no question to raise on this score. Buir other parts of the Empire more recently organised as self-govern-ing Dominions than ourselves may not have felt equally secure in the matter of their status."