CANADIAN VOTE

Grey River Argus, 30 April 1942, Page 3

CANADIAN VOTE

FOR CONSCRIPTION Neary 2 to 1 Majority [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) OTTAWA, April 28. The latest figures in the Canad.au plebiscite on the question of allowing the Dominion Government to conscript men for overseas are as follows:— Yes 2,724,653 No 1,486,771 Majority .' 1,237,882 There are still many returns to come in, including votes of the lighting services, which will not be announced for a fortnight. Nearly a million of negative votes were cast in the Quebec province, which is heavily populated by French Canadians. Most of the remaining half-million nays were registered in Frenchspeaking areas throughout the nation. Prince Edward Island voted 83 per cent. ves. Nova Scotia, 79; NewBrunswick 71, Quebec 28, Catario 84, Manitoba 81, Saskatchewan 76, Alberta 72 and British Columbia 80. “The vote means that Canadians generally recognise that the war has taken a course altogether unforseen and unexpected,” said Mr Mackenzie King, commenting on the plebiscite. He added: “Conditions may arise wherefore it is necessary to remove any restriction upon the freedom of action of the Government and Parliament. The Government asked that its hands should be free in war-time. The people have, expressed the view, by the plebiscite, that the Government should be free to discuss and decide each and every aspect of the country’s war effort, solely upon its merits.” The Conservative leader in the House, Dr. Hanson, to-day, said: The Canadian people, yesterday, spoke emphatically. Now there is no stumbling block, real or imaginary, to total, war. The hour has struck, when every human material and resource must be mobilised for war service. Parliament is now free to act. Let us act, and now. I urge the Prime Minister to rise to the occasion now, and he will strike a great blow for victory. Mr King said that it would be better to postpone discussion on the plebiscite until the official returns were complete. Any steps taken as the' result of the plebiscite would be of great importance, and would be announced in due course. CANADA AND FRANCE. OTTAWA, April 28. Mr Mackenzie King told the Commons that he would .not malm a statement on Canadian relations with Vichy, until he had conferred with M. Pierre Dupuy, Charge d’Affaires at Canada’s French Legation, whose headquarters are in London. Mr King said that M. Dupuy had been asked to return to Canada for consultations, and he was expected in Ottawa very soon.