Ottawa, Feb. 8. In the debate on the address in the House of Commons, in reply lo a speech, Sir Wilfred Laurier, Leader of the Opposition, said that he could imagine no alteration in the relations of the Dondinions to their Motherland likely to produce the same patriotism and efficiency, as evinced by the voluntary and spontaneous action of the Dominions all over the world, as this war.
Sir Robert Borden, Premier of, Canada, said that he was much of he same opinion. In addition to 20,000 troops overseas and 1,000 in Bermuda, there were 10,000 ready to go and 50,000 more enlisted to go when needed. Canada's further xetivity was only limited by the requirements of the Motherland. Ottawa, Feb. 9.
In the House of Commons to-day the Premier, Sir Robert Borden, read, amid enthusiasm, the following message from the Right Hon, Lewis Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Coto "Germany has lost 2,250,000 of her best and bravest soldiers. Any fresh effort must be made by greatly ferior and disheartened troops. Germany is now feeling the economic pressure, thanks to our Navy. and Austria has suffered The only effect. in the case of mer chant men, of wearing a flag other than their own national flag is to compel the enemy to follow the ordinary obligations of naval warfare and to satisfy himself as to the nationality of the vessel and the character of its cargo by examination before capturing her and taking her into the Prize Court for adjudication, The British Government has always considered the use of the British colours by a foreign vessel as legitimate for the purpose of escaping capture. Such practice not only involved no breach of international law but is specifically recognized by the law of this coun-
In the Merchant Shinring Art of 1894 it is enacted as follows: "If the British flag and assumes British national character on board a ship owned in whole or in part by any persons not qui fied to own a British for purpose of making the shin appear to be a British shin, the shin should be subject to forfeiture under this Act," unless the assumption has been made for the purpose of escaping capture by an enemy of by a foreign ship of war in the exercise of some belligerent richt; and in the instructions to British Consuls in 1914 it is stated "A shiv is liable to capture if its British character is improperly assumed except for purposes of escaping severe reverses and is no longer a powerful ally while Turkey is of even less account, The power of Great Britain and her Allies increases daily, whereas the power of Germany is waning. The vast resources of the British Empire have not yet been called into play. The splendid—con-fingents sent by the Dominions Over-seas with the new armies of the Mother Country should have a preponderating influence in the ultimate decision.
Sir Robert Borden then made an eloquent speech in which he "The Empire has held firm utterly disappointing Prussian expectations. We great Dominions are not only fighting for our institutions, our freedom and our destiny but for a world-wide cause concerning which none dare doubt the issue."
(Loud and prolonged cheers).
As we have not in practice objected to foreign merchant vessels using the British merchant flag s a ruse for the purpose of evading capture at sea at the hands of 4 belligerent, so we shall maintain that in a converse case a British merchant vessel has committed no breach of the rules of international law in assuming neutral colours for a similar purpose if she thought fit to do so.
By the rules of international law the custom of war and the dictates of humanity it is obligatory upon a belligerent to ascertain the character of a merchant vessel and of her cargo before capture. Germany has no right to disregard this obligation, To destroy a ship with its noncombatant crew and cargo, as Germany has announced her intention of doing. is nothing Jess than an act of piracy on the high seas
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.