Something Missing

Last week 64-year-old Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, who has often angered strong Imperialists by failing to come out wholeheartedly for war support for Britain, rose in the Ottawa House of Commons to read a speech on foreign policy. He droned along for 15 minutes.

Suddenly he stopped and hurriedly counted the typewritten pages in his hand. Shamefacedly he said that the most important page of his statement was missing. Two blushing secretaries bolted from the officials' gallery above the speaker, and in a few moments the Prime Minister himself followed. Parliament waited and waited, finally got to debating something else. Not until 45 minutes had passed did Prime Minister King breathlessly return to the House to read the strongest war statement any Canadian Prime Minister had made since the World War:

"If there were a prospect of an aggressor launching an attack on Britain, with bombers raining death on London, I have no doubt what the decision of the Canadian people and Parliament would be. We would regard it as an act of aggression, menacing freedom in all parts of the British Commonwealth."

Many an M. P., although amazed that an avowed isolationist should say so much, wondered: How could he possibly have spent 45 minutes looking for the missing page? Surely there were copies?

The answer, which the M. P.s were not told: Assailed by doubts about his speech, Mr. King spent the 45 minutes telephoning London, reading the Foreign Office the whole text, asking whether the promise of aid to Britain if attacked was strong enough. Told that it was, he scurried back and read it to the House.

Prime Minister King's statement also focused attention on the appalling state of Canadian defense, to say nothing of offense. Canada has always relied on both British and U. S. Navies for help. She has less than 300 military airplanes, scores of which are Royal Air Force discards. Her navy consists of only six destroyers, manned by 137 officers, 1,582 men. Her total active militia is 4,034 men. Her coastal defense guns date from before the War, and are so small that enemy battleships could anchor unharmed 30,000 yards off Halifax or Vancouver and demolish either city. Worst of all, Canada has at most two anti-aircraft guns.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.