the canadian dominion-第34章

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e　people　of　Great　Britain　must　decide　what　fiscal　system　would　best　serve　their　own　interests。　A　consistent　advocate　of　home　rule；　he　was　willing；　unlike　some　of　his　colleagues；　from　the　other　Dominions；　to　let　the　United　Kingdom　control　its　own　affairs。

The　defense　issue　had　slumbered　since　the　Boer　War。　Now　the　unbounded　ambitions　of　Germany　gave　it　startling　urgency。　It　was　about　1908　that　the　British　public　first　became　seriously　alarmed　over　the　danger　involved　in　the　lessening　margin　of　superiority　of　the　British　over　the　German　navy。　The　alarm　was　echoed　throughout　the　Dominions。　The　Kaiser's　challenge　threatened　the　safety　not　only　of　the　mother　country　but　of　every　part　of　the　Empire。　Hitherto　the　Dominions　had　done　little　in　the　way　of　naval　defense；　though　they　had　one　by　one　assumed　full　responsibility　for　their　land　defense。　The　feeling　had　been　growing　that　they　should　take　a　larger　share　of　the　common　burden。　Two　factors；　however；　had　blocked　advance　in　this　direction。　The　British　Government　had　claimed　and　exercised　full　control　of　the　issues　of　peace　and　war；　and　the　Dominions　were　reluctant　to　assume　responsibility　for　the　consequences　of　a　foreign　policy　which　they　could　not　direct。　The　hostility　of　the　British　Admiralty；　on　strategic　and　political　grounds；　to　the　plan　of　local　Dominion　navies；　had　prevented　progress　on　the　most　feasible　lines。　The　deadlock　was　a　serious　one。　Now　the　imminence　of　danger　compelled　a　solution。　Taking　the　lead　in　this　instance　in　the　working　out　of　the　policy　of　colonial　nationalism；　Australia　had　already　insisted　upon　abandoning　the　barren　and　inadequate　policy　of　making　a　cash　contribution　for　the　support　of　a　British　squadron　in　Australasian　waters　and　had　established　a　local　navy；　manned；　maintained；　and　controlled　by　the　Commonwealth。　Canada　decided　to　follow　her　example。　In　March；　1909；　the　Canadian　House　of　Commons　unanimously　adopted　a　resolution　in　favor　of　establishing　a　Canadian　naval　service　to　cooperate　in　close　relation　with　the　British　navy。　During　the　summer　a　special　conference　was　held　in　London　attended　by　ministers　from　all　the　Dominions。　At　this　conference　the　Admiralty　abandoned　its　old　position；　and　it　was　agreed　that　Australia　and　Canada　should　establish　local　forces；　cruisers；　destroyers；　and　submarines；　with　auxiliary　ships　and　naval　bases。

When　the　Canadian　Parliament　met　in　1910；　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier　submitted　a　Naval　Service　Bill；　providing　for　the　establishment　of　local　fleets；　of　which　the　smaller　vessels　were　to　be　built　in　Canada。　The　ships　were　to　be　under　the　control　of　the　Dominion　Government；　which　might；　in　case　of　emergency；　place　them　at　the　disposal　of　the　British　Admiralty。　The　bill　was　passed　in　March。　In　the　autumn　two　cruisers；　the　Rainbow　and　the　Niobe；　were　bought　from　Britain　to　serve　as　training　ships。　In　the　following　spring　a　naval　college　was　opened　at　Halifax；　and　tenders　were　called　for　the　construction；　in　Canada；　of　five　cruisers　and　six　destroyers。　In　June；　1911；　at　the　regular　Imperial　Conference　of　that　year；　an　agreement　was　reached　regarding　the　boundaries　of　the　Australian　and　Canadian　stations　and　uniformity　of　training　and　discipline。

Then　came　the　reciprocity　fight　and　the　defeat　of　the　Government。　No　tenders　had　been　finally　accepted；　and　the　new　Administration　of　Premier　Borden　was　free　to　frame　its　own　policy。

The　naval　issue　had　now　become　a　party　question。　The　policy　of　a　Dominion　navy；　a　policy　which　was　the　logical　extension　of　the　principles　of　colonial　nationalism　and　imperial　cooperation　which　had　guided　imperial　development　for　many　years；　was　attacked　by　ultra…imperialists　in　the　English…speaking　provinces　as　strategically　unsound　and　as　leading　inevitably　to　separation　from　the　Empire。　It　was　also　attacked　by　the　Nationalists　of　Quebec；　the　ultra…colonialists　or　provincialists；　as　they　might　more　truly　be　termed；　under　the　vigorous　leadership　of　Henri　Bourassa；　as　yet　another　concession　to　imperialism　and　to　militarism。　In　November；　1910；　by　alarming　the　habitant　by　pictures　of　his　sons　being　dragged　away　by　naval　press　gangs；　the　Nationalists　succeeded　in　defeating　the　Liberal　candidate　in　a　by…election　in　Drummond…Arthabaska；　at　one　time　Laurier's　own　constituency。　In　the　general　election　which　followed　in　1911；　the　same　issue　cost　the　Liberals　a　score　of　seats　in　Quebec。

When；　therefore；　the　new　Prime　Minister；　Sir　Robert　Borden；　faced　the　issue；　he　endeavored　to　frame　a　policy　which　would　suit　both　wings　of　his　following。　In　1912　he　proposed　as　an　emergency　measure　to　appropriate　a　sum　sufficient　to　build　three　dreadnoughts　for　the　British　navy；　subject　to　recall　if　at　any　time　the　Canadian　people　decided　to　use　them　as　the　nucleus　of　a　Canadian　fleet。　At　the　same　time　he　undertook　to　submit　to　the　electorate　his　permanent　naval　policy；　as　soon　as　it　was　determined。　What　that　permanent　policy　would　be　he　was　unwilling　to　say；　but　the　Prime　Minister　made　clear　his　own　leanings　by　insisting　that　it　would　take　half　a　century　to　form　a　Canadian　navy；　which　at　best　would　be　a　poor　and　weak　substitute　for　the　organization　the　Empire　already　possessed。　The　contribution　to　the　British　navy　satisfied　the　ultra…imperialists；　while　the　promise　of　a　referendum　and　the　call　for　money　alone；　and　not　men；　appealed　to　the　Nationalist　wing。　Under　the　impetuous　control　of　its　new　head；　Winston　Churchill；　the　British　Admiralty　showed　that　it　had　repented　its　brief　conversion　to　the　Dominion　navy　policy；　by　preparing　an　elaborate　memorandum　to　support　Borden's　proposals；　and　also　by　formulating　plans　for　imperial　flying　squadrons　to　be　supplied　by　the　Dominions；　which　made　clear　its　wish　to　continue　the　centralizing　policy　permanently。　The　Liberal　Opposition　vigorously　denounced　the　whole　dreadnought　programme；　advocating　instead　two　Canadian　fleet　units　somewhat　larger　than　at　first　contemplated。　Their　obstruction　was　overcome　in　the　Commons　by　the　introduction　of　the　closure；　but　the　Liberal　majority　in　the　Senate；　on　the　motion　of　Sir　George　Ross；　a　former　Premier　of　Ontario；　threw　out　the　bill　by　insisting　that　it　should　not　be　passed　before　being　〃submitted　to　the　judgment　of　the　country。〃　This　challenge　the　Government　did　not　accept。　Until　the　outbreak　of　the　war　no　further　steps　were　taken　either　to　arrange　for　contribution　or　to　establish　a　Canadian　navy；　though　the　naval　college　at　Halifax　was　continued；　and　the　training　cruisers　were　maintained　in　a　half…hearted　way。

In　the　Imperial　Conference　of　1911；　one　more　attempt　was　made　to　set　up　a　central　governing　authority　in　London。　Sir　Joseph　Ward；　of　New　Zealand；　acting　as　the　mouthpiece　of　the　imperial　federationists；　urged　the　establishment；　first　of　an　Imperial　Council　of　State　and　later　of　an　Imperial　Parliament。　His　proposals　met　no　support。　〃It　is　absolutely　impracticable；〃　was　Laurier's　verdict。　〃Any　scheme　of　representationno　matter　what　you　call　it；　parliament　or　councilof　the　overseas　Dominions；　must　give　them　so　very　small　a　representation　that　it　would　be　practically　of　no　value；〃　declared　Premier　Morris　of　Newfoundland。　〃It　is　not　a　practical　scheme；〃　Premier　Fisher　of　Australia　agreed；　〃our　present　system　of　responsible　government　has　not　broken　down。〃　〃The　creation　of　some　body　with　centralized　authority　over　the　whole　Empire；〃　Premier　Botha　of　South　Africa　cogently　insisted；　〃would　be　a　step　entirely　antagonistic　to　the　policy　of　Great　Britain　which　has　been　so　successful　in　the　past　。　。　。　。　It　is　the　policy　of　decentralization　which　has　made　the　Empirethe　power　granted　to　its　various　peoples　to　govern　themselves。〃　Even　Premier　Asquith　of　the　United　Kingdom　declared　the　proposals　〃fatal　to　the　very　fundamental　conditions　on　which　our　empire　has　been　built　up　and　carried　on。〃

Stronger　than　any　logic　was　the　presence　of　Louis　Botha　in　the　conferences　of　1907　and　1911。　On　the　former　occasion　it　was　only　five　years　since　he　had　been　in　arms　against　Great　Britain。　The　courage　and　vision　of　Sir　Henry　Campbell…Bannerman　in　granting　full　and　immediate　self…government　to　the　conquered　Boer　republics　had　been　justified　by　the　results。　Once　more　freedom　proved　the　only　enduring　basis　of　empire。　Botha's　task　in　attempting　to　make　Boer　and　Brito