CANADIAN DEFENCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1942, Page 5

CANADIAN DEFENCES

COMMONS’ SECRET SESSION.

OTTAWA, February 16. The first secret session of the Canadian House of Commons since, the iast war will be held this week, probably on Thursday. It is to discuss Canada’s coastal defences and other matters pertaining to the Canadian war effort. The Premier, Mr Mackenzie King, told the House that the liovernment had intended holding a . ecret session at a later date, but the .’all of Singapore had raised a general demand for an immediate secret ses10Mr Mackenzie King declared in the Commons that Canada will be represented at the Pacific War Council m London should its discussions be extended to cover the whole of the Pacific area. APPEASEMENT CONDEMNED. (Rcc. 12.15 p.m.) MONTREAL, February 2/. The Governor of New York State, Mr. Lehman, in a speech al Montreal on the occasion of the Canadian victory loan, emphatically warned against appeasers. He said: “A stalemate in the world would be equally dangerous to defeat democracy.' He added that many things were liampering the Allied war effort, pardeularly disunity and short-sighted nationalism, also some people were .-.till believing in appeasement.

MR. HEPBURN’S REMARKS

CANADA EXPRESSES REGRET.

WASHINGTON, February 16.

The Canadian Government is reported to have expressed regret to the United States for the recent utterances of the Premier oi Ontario 'Mt. M. F. Hepburn), who alleged m uwo public addresses that the United States Navy in the Pacific was hiding from the Japanese. It is explained that the expressions of regret, did not constitute a formal apology, since Mr. Hepburn is not a member of the Canadian Govei nment, but merely a provincial Premier. However, Canadian officials emphasised that few Canadians sympathised with Mr. Hepburn’s views.