CANADIAN FLAG

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 April 1938, Page 8

CANADIAN FLAG

. MOVE TO OBTAIN ONE. Prime Minister'Mackenzie King and Conservative Leader R. B. Bennett support a motion to establish a House Committee to consider the advisability of adopting a distinctive Canadian flag, says an Ottawa message to the “Christian (Science Monitor." Sponsored by Cameron R. Mclntish,

Liberal member from Saskatchewan, wh o has been proposing flag resolutions siiico 1929, the motion would set up to' consider a distinctive;.Canadian ‘flag “representing Can"Ma’as"'a whole’, thereby symbolising [ the Dominion as an equality partner lin the Commonwealth of British Na’tiojin.” “-Canada .is the only Dominion in the Empire "which is unable to fly a distinctive flag, said the Prime. Minister. IHe believed the time had come when Canada should remedy this condition. - It.: •is an absurdity found in no

ether country,” Mr. Mackenzie King said, that Canada officially flies the Union Jack at home and the Red Enfjign with the Canadian Coat of Arms abroad. Canada is a self-governing nation, yet a member of lhe British Commonwealth, and should demon•strate I his to the world, not continue 1o fly the Union Jack, the flag of the colonies, he said.

There is no friction in the Empire and. for Canada to take the step at this time could not be,interpreted abroad as a. sign of disloyalty, said Mr. King. There might he some objection to Canada; designing a distinctive flag if it were the first Dominion in the Empide to do so, he said. But Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Newfoundland had flags of their own, and for Canada to follow suit could not be misunderstood in the world or in the Empire.'- : -- . ' '