CANADA: Declaration of Independence

Canada’s stand in the Middle East crisis, though widely admired abroad, came under bitter criticism at home last week. At an emergency session of Parliament, the strongly pro-British Tory Party hotly assailed the government for its refusal to back the British-French attack on Egypt and for siding with the U.S. in bringing about a ceasefire. Canada had acted as “a chore boy for the U.S.,” charged the Tories, and had “encouraged our enemies and embarrassed our friends.”

The bitterness of the Tory attack angered Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent who had, until then, been scrupulously careful not to criticize Britain publicly. He fired back the blunt charge that Britain, France and Israel had “taken the law into their own hands.” Snapped St. Laurent: “The era when the supermen of Europe could govern the whole world is coming pretty close to an end.”

With equal firmness but less heat, External Affairs Secretary Lester Pearson pointed out that Britain had failed to advise Canada of its Middle East plans. Lacking prior consultation, Canada went to the U.N. and voted independently. “If a resolution is right, we vote for it,” Pearson said. “It is bad to be a chore boy for the United States. It is equally bad to be a colonial chore boy, running around shouting ‘Ready, aye, ready!”:

Pearson’s declaration of independence won Parliament’s solid approval. Shortly after he spoke, the house voted 171 to 36 against a Tory no-confidence motion.