CANADIAN POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20433, 13 June 1928, Page 9

CANADIAN POLITICS

EMBASSY AT TOKIO. EXPENDITURE CRITICISED. (United Press Association.) (By Electric TfelegrapCt—Copyright) OTTAWA, June 11. Parliament was prorogued on Monday afternoon. Criticising the expenditure for the Canadian Embassy at Tokio, Sir George Perley (Conversative) asked what would happen if all the dominions had Ministers at Tokio. Such a situation would be full of danger. In times of stress the British Commonwealth must present a united front on foreign affairs. Some course might be found for the whole Empire to be represented in foreign countries. Canada was moving too rapidly. There should be a thorough conference with the other parts of the Empire before steps were taken. —Australian Press Association. REPLY TO CRITICISM. THE PROPOSAL DEFENDED. OTTAWA, June 12. (Received June 13, at 0.30 a.m.) Replying to the criticism of the Opposition in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister, Mr Mackenzie King, defended the proposed establishment of a Canadian legation at Tokio. He did not moan independence but self dependence. Nothing in the proposal savoured of effort to gain independence from the British Empire; in fact, the action would help to maintain Canada’s relations with the other parts of the Empire. The old idea of centralised control of the Empire had given way to the idea of joint control. The leader of the. Conservatives, Mr Bennett, held that the establishment o: separate legations led to separation rather than to solidarity. A legation at Tokio would mean pretence without power or authority, bogus representation of nationality, and false representation of sovereignty.—Australian Prcs« Association.