REPLY TO REBUKE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1927, Page 10

REPLY TO REBUKE

CANADA AND DEFENCE

MR. BRUCE AND MR. KING

DENIAL OF STATEMENT

(United Pres3 Association.—Copyright.) (Eeceived Bth February, 1 p.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Referring to the rebuke offered him by the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. S. M. Bruce said: "I never at any time made any suggestion regarding wfcat Canada ought to do in the matter of national defence."

Addressing University students at • Toronto on Saturday, the Premier, Mr. Mackenzie-King, referring to the Canadian speeches of Mr. Bruce, dealing with' - the Dominions' contributions to de-' fence, said: "I say, as Prime Minister ■ of Canada, that he has made my task - a much more difficult one than it would otherwise have been. I think the Canadian people can much more easily " and satisfactorily decide their own ' matters without the advice of visitors - from other countries."

Addressing the Canadian.Club at Tor- • onto on 4th January, according to a cable message received and published * here next day, Mr. Bruce said that every self-governing British Dominion must undertake its full quota of the cost of defence to its utmost ability or else accept a position of inferiority in the " Empire. He read a table giving Australia's per capita expenditure for this purpose at 64 cents compared with Canada's 22 cents. ■