CANADIAN NAVY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11884, 21 January 1914, Page 5

CANADIAN NAVY.

THE BORDEN POLICY.

CRITICISED BY SIR W. LAURIER.

Press Association—-Electric Telegraph—CopyrigV OTTAWA, Tuesday.

j Speaking in the debate in reply to the Address from the Throne, Sir Wilfrid Laurier said the absence of any mention of the Naval Bill entirely justified the ijiborals* action, which was taken to ensure its defeat. He declared that he was an ardent Imperialist, but with him the autonomy of his country came first and last. The Sessions Bill was merely founded upon expediency. Anglo-German relations, as Viscount Ilaldane declared when recently in Canada, were really cordial. A flood of light had since been thrown on the emergency question, and it was now clear that an attempt had been made to engineer a panic for the sole benefit of armour-plate manufacturers, in order to obtain a fat contract. The German peril had disappeared, but a peril remained which all Canadians must face, namely, the high cost of Jiving. That was really a question of emergency. Business throughout Canada was on a satisfactory basis. The speaker did not regard the future with confidence. The Hon. R. L. Borden, Canadian Premier, replying to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, said that if the Liberals chose to make the Senate's action a political issue, the Conservatives would be ready to meet them. Canada had less control over the 'Upper Chamber than any Dominion within the Empire. Mr Borden quoted German newspapers showing how the Senate's action was misunderstood. He did not think they ought to allow the Senate to again bring discredit upon Canada's good name. The Government was quito firm in its attitude, and would provide three capital ships when it could do so.