Canada Demands Part In Any Peace Talks

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1945, Page 7

Canada Demands Part In Any Peace Talks

OTTAWA, Dec. 17.

The Prime Minister >(Mr W. L. Mackenzie King) said in the House of Commons that Canada had made a very strong demand to the major Powers that Canada should bo consulted in any peace talks, or at least invited to such talks, on principle. He said the British Government had every desire to see that Canada was represented, but sometimes it was beyond Britain’s control.

The Canadian Government expected to have all countries know of Canada’s part in the war and of the armed forces she had committed to the struggle. It expected Canada to be given full recognition with all other countries in future.

During the war Canada had often found herself in the embarrassing position of having to approve decisions made beforehand.

need for secrecy This was due to war emergencies and the need for secrecy. The Government sometimes was forced to decide whether to protest against decisions or to let them pass.

He could not emphasise too strongly Canada s right to be one of the principals in drafting the peace terms, Mr Mackenzie King said the Government had not-yet decided whether it would be advisable for Canada to join the proposed Pacific Regional Council, and added:—

“I think we have much to gain and nothing to lose by not taking too immediate steps regarding what is advisable in the present intricate situation in the Pacific.”

Referring to the Far Eastern Advisory Commission, he said it would be premature to attempt to predict how the commission would function, but it would provide machinery for jdint discussions. The Canadian representative on the commission during the coming visit to Japan would be Mr E. H. Norman, who served in the Canadian Legation in Tokio before the war. Colonel Moore Cosgrave would be Mr Norman’s economic consultant.