Canada Catching Up
The most significant factors in Canadian politics are seldom discussed in this country, partly through lack of information and partly through the extreme delicacy of the issues. But there is little point in being mealy-mouthed about the reasons for the rather slow. start which Canada made in offering military aid to the United Nations in Korea. On the contrary, in fairness to the vast majority; of Canadians who have an admirably clear and vigorous sense of. their national responsibilities in this matter, those reasons should be plainly stated without delay. The Union Nationale Party which at present governs Quebec is led by isolationists. This party's' power has been steadily declining, but its leaders are still capable of exploiting an international crisis for purely party ends, and the strength of the Liberals in Quebec is still so uncertain that Premier Duplessis remains a man to be reckoned with. But fear of his sting is evidently declining, as well it may since it is practically certain that he now represents only a minority in Quebec, while the large numbers of men volunteering for the forces give a pretty clear• indication where the true Canadian sympathies lie. On Monday the Prime. Minister of Canada, Mr. St. Laurent, announced not only that a Canadian Army Special Force would be recruited to fulfil Canadian obligations under the United Nations Charter or the North Atlantic Pact but that the Government would favour Canadian participation in a United Nations police division to serve not only in Korea but anywhere else that it might be needed. This, together with the news he gave of the accelerated production of aircraft, warships, ammunition and other armaments and supplies, left no doubt as to the size and effectiveness of the growing Canadian effort.
