NEWS OF THE WEEK
BY far the most important event of the week is the announcement made in the Canadian House of Commons on Thursday by Mr. Borden that the Dominion Parliament will be asked to vote seven millions for the immediate con- struction of three "of the largest and strongest ships of war that science can build or money supply." The ships constructed with this magnificent New Year's gift are to be at the disposal of the Imperial Government for the common defence of the Empire, and are to be maintained and controlled as part of the Royal Navy. If in the future Canada establishes a Canadian unit of the Fleet, the ships may be called by the Canadian Government to form part of that unit. In that case, however, they will be maintained by the Dominion. The new vessels will be built in the United Kingdom. As the Admiralty, how- ever, recognize that it is not to the advantage of the Empire that all shipbuilding facilities should be concentrated in the United Kingdom, they are prepared to give orders in the early future for the construction in Canada of small cruisers and auxiliary craft of various kinds, that is, of the kind that Canadian shipyards have facilities for building. This is as it should be.
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