Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-08

Although reciprocity and annexation
are the two things most talked about in
the campaign, it is en-
Ihe Naval tirely possible, even prob
able, that the result of
""oo'AoAl' the election will be de-
termined by yet another prosecuting
issue-the naval question. The naval
question has nothing whatever to do with
the election, but yet 1t may be the de-
terminng factor in the campaign. About
two years ago, when the far-fiung British
empire was shaken from end to end by
the German war scare. the resultant i'm
perialistic enthusiasm caused the self
governing colonies of Great Britain to
take thought unto themselves how they
might aid the mother country to preserve
her threatened supremacy of the seas.
In Canada, as in the other self-govern-
ing colonies, the overwhelming majority
of the people desired to aid the British
navy in some substantial fashion. The
government in Canada proposed to re-
lieve the British navy of any further re-
snonsibiity for guarding the coasts Of
Canada and to establish and maintain at
Canadian expense a Canadian navy that
should at all times act In defense or
Canadian coasts, and IN times or war.
under certain conditions, become part
icy was adopted, all British ships were
withdrawn from Canadian waters. and
the Canadian government purchased two
small cruisers and established Canadian
navy.
The opposition party, led by Mr. Bor-
den, advocated the contribution of two
dreadnoughts to the imperial navy, and
proposed that the sum OF S2aWn.ooo be
contributed directly to the British ad-
mralty from the Canadian treasury.
n rnrfi .tal,-
Canada however, the French speaking
Canadians agreed neither with the colo
NAL naval policy of Sir Wilfrid laurler
nor the imperial naval policy of Mr..
Borden. They took the position that
Canada didn't need to spend any money
on any kind of a navy This attitude
was represented in parliament by the
leader of the conservative party In the
french-speaking province of Quebec. r.
ID. Monk But in the country 1T became
a much more serious issue and was di-
rectly responsible for the formation of
new political party, the nationalist
party, under the leadership of Henri
Bourassa
Now it so happens that the liberal ma
jority III parliament for the past fifteen
years has been the direct result of the
| overwhelming liberal majority in the
province of Quebec, where IN the last
parliament the conservatives could claim
| but twelve of the sixty-five members
| Quebec was intensely proud of Sir Will
| frid, the first French Canadian premier
| of federated Canada, and disloyalty to
| Laurier was regarded is sort of po-
| litical apOstasy.
| But in this campaign Bourassa and the
| nationalist leaders are fighting against
| Laurier with all their might. They de-
| cline to discuss the issue of reciprocity
| they refuse to be excited about annexa-
| ton; they content themselves with at
| lacking the naval policy of the govern
ment and with impugnng the loyalty OF
| Sir Wilfrid to his French-speaking COM
patriots.
| will be the result of the nationalist de-
| lection in Quebec. OF course. such re-
| suit would not settle the naval question
| because it would bring into power a coali-
/ ton majority of conservatives and ma
| tionalists who are at the opposite poles
on the naval question, United only in