THE CANADIAN NAVY.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12765, 5 February 1910, Page 3

THE CANADIAN NAVY.

' BILL BEFORE THE HOUSE. b BIR WILFRID LAURIER'S POSIE- . TION. s [Pbeßß Association — Copyright.] i (Received Feb 4, 9.30 p.m.) .. Ottawa, Feb 4. i Sir Wilfrid Laurier, in the Dominion House of Commons, in moving the . second reading of the Navy Bill, .ad . the Government would stand or fall by their policy, but fall they would - not. Their policy was in the best tr»- --> ditions of tho Liberal party; it was 5 tho latest link of a long chain of . events springing from the principles i enunciated by the reformers of old, . which brought Canada to the rank dig- . nitj', and status of a nation within [ the, Empire The Conservatives were r divided in counsel and action. Some ! were Pharisees of Imperialism, de- . manding a direct contribution nd . giving the Admiralty autonomic con- . trol of the Canadian Navy and Canadi ian participation in all British wars, i Others in Quebec wanted no navy and | no participation in British wars. "I i do not pretend to be an Imperialist, , continued Sir Wilfrid, "1 am a Canadian first, last and all the time, but I am a British subject by birth :.nd i conviction." - . The true policy and the one in ac- . cordanco with the spirit of British institutions, he continued, was for the i Parliament of Canada, which creates the Navy, to say when and whexe it shall go to war. His recent statement that when England was at war Canada was at war was merely a statement of the principle of international law that when a country was at war all its possessions ware liable j to attack. He saw no immediate menace. The Government would after Hie Bill was passed ask for tenders for the construction of a shipbuilding- plant for the Dominion. This plant would take a year to erect, and vessels could thereafter bo constructed in four years. Mr R. L. Borden, Leader of the Opposition, criticised the speech, and moved an amendment declaring that the Government's proposals did not follow the Admiralty's suggestions and recommendations, and that ir> so far as they empower the Government to withhold Canada's naval forces from those of the Empire in war time, the proposals are ill advised, dangerous and expensive. They give no immediate or effective aid, and as a permanent policy they should not be entered upon until submitted or approved by the people. Meantime Canada's duty and the Empire's mpending necessities can best be met by placing immediately at the disposal of the Imperial authorities a sufficient amount to purchase or construct two Dreadnoughts, giving the Admiralty full discretion to expend it at such time and for such purposes of defence as in their judgment would j best serve and increase the united strength of the Empire, and thus assure its peace and security.