SOLIDARITY OF EMPIRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23488, 27 October 1939, Page 8

SOLIDARITY OF EMPIRE

Since the outbreak of war, influences have been at work in various parts of the British Commonwealth. tending to threaten Empire solidarity in the grim struggle that lies ahead. In practically every case, however, these influences have failed to achieve their ends and the British Dominions in consequence are still able to maintain their united front with the Mother Country. The latest instance in this respect concerns Canada, where the Provincial Government in Quebec has endeavoured to stand aside from, and, indeed to challenge, the national war effort planned by the Dominion Government at Ottawa. The Province of Quebec is almost exclusively French-Canadian and the Government, under Mr. M. Duplessis, has adopted almost an isolationist attitude toward the war. The Premier, in fact, held that in this matter an insistence on a national plan was an infringement of provincial rights, and ultimately he decided to test his opinions at the polls. The French-Canadian people have now given their answer and the result is an overwhelming defeat of the Union Nationale Government led by Mr. Duplessis. Its Parliamentary strength has dropped from 75 to 15 and Mr. J. A. Godbout has returned triumphantly to office, with a clear mandate to offer full co-operation with the Dominion authorities. Quebec has shown that it regards itself as a part of the Empire, with a full appreciation of its Empire responsibilities, and not merely as a State within a State. Reinforcing this firm decision from another angle is the report of South African enthusiasm for the cause so brilliantly expounded by General Smuts. At the outbreak of war, the then Prime Minister, General Ilertzog, would have committed the Union to a policy of non-interven-tion. Smuts challenged him and now South Africa is preparing to play her part in the common task. It is significant that in both Quebec and South Africa descendants of alien races should be willing and eager to fulfil the duties of British .citizenship,.