Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-02-06
Canadian Parliament
Facing Dissolution
On By-EIeciion Defea|
~ the Asxociated pyess

~ the AsSoclateo PIe6s.
OWEN SOUND, Ontario, Feb. O.
Early dissolution Of Parliament was
lin prospect for Canada today as 4
result Of the defeat Of Defense
Minister Gen. A. q. L. McNaughton
i'm yesterdays Grey North by-elec-
ltion and its implied rejection of
Prime Minister w. L. Mackenzie
Kings compromise conscription pol
icy.
Gen. McNauehton was defeated in
his bid for q seat In the House OF
Commons by Garfield Case, former
Mayor Of Owen Sound, running on
the ticket Of the oflcial opposition
iparty, the Progressive Conservatives.
Mr.. Case received 1888 votes,
against 5000 for Gen. McNaughton
and 3.l36 for Air Vice Marshal A.
Earl Godfrey, the candidate Of the
|socialistic CCF (Co-operative Com
Imonwealth Federation).
The government arranged the by
election ostensibly simply to provide
q Seat In Parliament for Gen. Nc
Naughton. who had been appointed
to the cabinet from civilian life last
November at the height Of the con-
Iscription crisis.
CONSUMPTION Main Issue.
The two opposition parties de-
cdded to contest the seat, and the
governments CONSUMPTION and gen.
Ieral manpower policies were made
the principal issue III one of the
bitterest campaigns in recent Do
minion history.
"As every one is aware" Prime
Minister King said at Ottawa last
night, II have all along sought to
avoid general election while our
men are fighting at the front.
THE by-eiection has. however,
raised the question whether by their
attitudes in the present campaign,
the parties which have offered oppo-
sition to the government in the by
election have not created and fos-
tered the very circumstances which
make q general election inevitable,
and this at what may well prove to
be the most critical Of all stages Of
the war.
Ito this aspect of the situation,
the Government will give immediate
and close attention"
Case May Never Get Seat.
Thus Mr.. Case has been elected to
q seat he may never take. The
normal five-year lift of the present
Parliament. not now in session, ex-
pires April II. Sometime before
then the Prime Minister must an
nounce the date Of the general cleo
ton. He may choose the date ct
his own discretion, except that 1t
must allow at least 60 days for
campaigning.
Gen. McNaughton. running here
IN his first political campaign, has
announced that he viii run in the
general election In the constituency
OF Quappelle in his native Sas-
katchewan for . seat In Parliament
now held by Conservative.
The showing of the CCF was
weaker than had been generally ex-
pected. The CCF was aided by
the Canadian Political Action Com
mittee. counterpart of the PAC In
the United States. which was wagins
its first campaign. The Canadian
PAC Is amliated with the Canadian
Congress OF Labor, Canadian proto-
type Of the CIO.
6,eo0 Draftees AWOL.
Gen. McNaughton's chances may
have been affected by disclosure dur
ing the campaign that about 5000
home defense troops drafted fos
overseas duty had gone AWOL q.
they were about to be sent abnoad.
The entire CONSUMPTION contro-
versy canters around Q group of APP
iproximately 10000 men drafted orig
inaliy for service only in the Western
Hemisphere. Canada until last fall
had fought five years Of war on the
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