CANADA IN EVENT OF WAR

Southland Times, Issue 23780, 30 March 1939, Page 5

CANADA IN EVENT OF WAR

SIGNS OF CRISIS IN PARLIAMENT QUEBEC STRONGLY AGAINST CONSCRIPTION (Received March 29, 7.5 p.m.) OTTAWA, March 28. The question of Canada’s status _ in the event of war threatens to bring about a crisis in the House of Commons. In an interview the Leader of the Conservative Opposition (Dr R. J, Manion) said: “When Britain is at war there is no such thing as Canadian neutrality. That is for the enemy to decide. I do not believe that Canadian youth should be conscripted to fight outside Canada. The Dominion could better play its part by full co-opera-tion with Britain by means of volunteers, munitions and foods.” Dr Manion said that high British military authorities had told him that Britain would not expect Canada to send an expeditionary force. In the House of Commons the Prime Minister (Mr W. L. Mackenzie King), acknowledging a petition from 21 French-Canadian societies opposing Canadian participation in any European war, announced that the House of Commons would be thrown open in the near future for a full-dress debate on foreign policy. In Quebec 500 students from Laval University invaded the Legislature, shouting: “No conscription!” They demanded an immediate vote on an Opposition member’s resolution that Quebec should urge the Dominion to pledge itself not to enter a European war. Police cleared the Chamber on the orders of the Premier (Mr Maurice Duplessis).