CANADA AND EMPIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1945, Page 5

CANADA AND EMPIRE

SECESSION ADVOCATED. MONTREAL, October 1. A speech yesterday by Canon Lionel Groulx, at the closing session of the Social Study Week here, in which he advocated Canada’s secession from the British Commonwealth, is not regarded as surprising as he has been the key figure in the Nationalist movement - for the last 30 years. Roman Catholic spokesmen regret that he chose this occasion to express his views. It is understood

that they will take steps officially to ; dissociate the Church from his statements. Canon Groulx is Professor of . History at the University of Montreal. • His argument is that -while the Statute of Westminster “solemnly cut down the supremacy of the British Parliament over Dominion Parliaments, it still left inequality of

status, rank and interests,” and that the British Commonwealth politico group is the biggest obstacle m Canada’s way. . x „ Outright Nationalists form a small but loud minority in Canadian affairs, advocating a Commonwealth break. Its candidates were snowed under in the Quebec provincial and Canadian national elections.