CANADIAN AFFAIRS

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 January 1939, Page 7

CANADIAN AFFAIRS

DEFENCE WEAKNESSES.

[BY CABLE —PBESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

(Recd. January 19, 2.45 p.m.) OTTAWA, January 18. , Declaring that the Governments contention‘that Canada can look after her own defence was hypocrisy and pretence, the Conservative leader. Mr Arthur Meighen, in the Senate, urged a defence policy of frankness, saying: “Never can we defend ourselves. Why not say so? The whole policy contains no reference to co-operation with the Admiralty and the War Office. Canadians want an assurance that our defences are being fitted into the British programme, and that Canada is interested in the security of France. '

NEUTRALITY QUESTION.

WINNIPEG, January IS

Professor Sidney Smith, of the University of Manitoba, addressing the Service Club, declared that Canada should inform the world that she may remain neutral, if Britain goes to war. If Canada was always to follow Britain’s lead, she should exercise the right of consultation with the British Government. It was not wise to bury their heads in the sand, and then, when war breaks out, to find that there was no alternative except to enter war.

WHEAT CLEARANCES.

OTTAWA. January IS.

Oversea clearances of wheat since August 1 total 76 million bushels, compared with 46 million in the similar period of last year.

PLANES FOR SPAIN

OTTAWA. January IS

In the Commons, the Minister of Revenue, Mr. J. L. Ilsloy. announced that the Government was asking the British Foreign Office to investigate the revelations made in Turkey, that. 40 Canadian airplanes shipped to Turkey were smuggled to Barcelona, by means of forged documents. No Canadian was involved. The capture of the planes, by Franco forces, led to a protest to Ottawa.