CANADIAN MUNITIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11717, 6 June 1916, Page 7

CANADIAN MUNITIONS.

GENERAL HUGHES REPLY TO CRITICS.

" ABOMINABLE MISSTATEMENTS." . OTTAWA, April 19. General Sir Sam Hughes mado his promised statement in the Houso of Commons to-day regarding the charges against, the Shell Coin mi (too made in his absence. He said that before leaving for England ho had the permission of the. Premier <lll d the assurance of the leader of the Opposition that the latter had' no personal knowledge of anything forthcoming in Parliament requiring his presence. Thero was, ho said, great unwillingness and timidity among the industrial and financial concerns x in Canada toundertake tho manufacture of munitions at the outset of the war. It was then that the contract was entered into with the two American companies to furnish fuses in connection with, which it was alleged that a. sum of 1 ,ooo,ooodol was diverted to the middlemen. The fact war, that thciso companies were at the moment employing 8000 men, and had six millions invested in tho plant. They were guaranteed by tho strongest company in America, and they were* making such satisfactory deliveries that they recently received an order from the Dritish Government for five million additional fuses. ( COLONEL ALLISON DEFENDED.

General .Hughes defended tho employment of Colonel Allison, tho conticlentiai agent of tho Minister of Militia, who is now accused of graft, as being necessary to supervise the importation of American-made munitions to Cauadft seoreUy for. shipment, to England. Colonel Allison also assisted in making contracts .for arms and munitions with the United States ' resulting in largo savings. Ho had 110 knowledge that Colonel. Allison received any commission on tho fuse contract. Ho declared that. M.r Kyte, tho Liberal member for Richmond, had. 'read in tho House what purported to be agreements between Colonel Allison and another person with a. foreign name to divide large sums of .money by way of graft from these contracts, but it had been ascertained that no such agreements existed, and tftat no such division of commissions was ever mado. The Miixister therefore characterises Mr Ivvte's charges in regard to the affair as "abominable misstatements." (Cheers.) General Hughes denounced the conduct of the members wasting the time of th&- Parliament in bandying words about baseless charges instead olf concentrating their efforts on tho salvation of the Empire. Sir Wflfrid Laurier complained that General Sir Sam Hughes had insufficiently dealt with the real issue of the case. ' Sir Robert Borden said that never had a Royail Commission been appointed' to investigate such flimsy charges, but none would probe more deeply. He announced ihat he himself would take charge of Militia, Department, and leave General Sir Sam Hughes free to attend to the investigation.