Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-16

matter of the seal dispute and other af-
fairs 1t was time for Canada to consider
the propriety of contributing something to
the general defense of the empire The
chancellor Of the exchequer said it very
nicely, of course, merely as If it was Can
adas interests alone which had prompted
his mentioning the little matter at ALL
Canadas welfare and safety. he said,
might come to depend upon her own exer-
tions, at least to some extent, and for
that reason 1t would not be bad thing if
the dominion would do little something
in the way of contribution to the navy.
Small contributions thankfully received,
he perhaps added to himself.
The same hint was quite graphically con-
veyed last summer during the jubilee cele-
b1 ations when the colonial secretary took
all the premiers of the British colonies on
beard a. special steamer to see the naval
review, thereby to interest them in the
sea power of Great Britain, and to draw
their attention to the great cost of main
tanning the empire. At the conference they
were appealed to to impress upon their
parliaments the necessity for the self-gov-
erning colonies Of the empire accepting
share of the responsibilities and cost, as
well as of the benefits and glory of the
navy.
The most extensive Of the colonies. Can
ada, has been less ready to act than two
of the others. Australia maintains four
large battle ships at her own expense and
South Africa one. Canada is not asked to
contribute Immediately very large ap-
preparation, but she is asked to recognize
her responsibility and to contribute what
may be regarded as an earnest of what
she will ultimately do. Great Britain's
naval estimates of 1898 are placed at f22.
33s, 600 about s112,OO0,O00. of which Can
ada's share. calculating by the proportion
her population bears to that Of the self
governing colonies of the empire, would be
about one-tenth. or some s12.0O0.OoO.
AS already stated, Canada is not asked
nor expected to make any such contrfbu-
ton, as her wealth is not as great propOr-
ticnately as her population. But she is
cked to do what she can, and the present
condition of domestic politics in the domn-
ion is such that 1t is not at all unlikely
that Sir Wilfrid Lauriers government will
ask parliament to vote an exceedingly
handsome sum. The recent threatened
split in the liberal party in Canada, which
is not vet quite healed up, and the revea-
tions of a number of instances of not al
together aboveboard political dealings by
Sir Wilfrd himself are quite likely to
lead the government to divert discussion
from these matters by some such unpre-
cedented measure as considerable ap
propriati ton for the establishment of a
Canadian navy This would make Sir Will
frid more popular than ever with English
public men, and would disarm the hostility
of the ultra loyal element in Canada,
which has always opposed the liberal party
as the party favoring a suspicious friend
ship with the United States.
Whatever the actual amount of the an
preparation which the coming parliament
will vote, 1t may be regarded certain
that 1t will be sufficient to form a SUBJ
Stantial nucleus about which to construct
respectable proportions. AS in the case OF
Australia, 1t is probable that the conditions
on which Canada will undertake to sus-
tain this naval force will be that the ships
will never be liable, except by assent of
the dominion government to service out
side Canadian waters.