tained by one navy, for that supremacy could be maintained only by a navy established under one central control and direction."

Naturally these speeches were well received in Great Britain. In placing the emphasis upon one navy he expressed the deepest conviction of the Admiralty and the desire of all responsible British statesmen. It was made apparent also that the project of a Canadian navy was to be abandoned and that the Nationalist faction of Quebec was not to dictate the naval policy of the Borden administration. Upon his return to Canada Sir Robert was greeted by a friendly demonstration at Quebec and later was honoured by impressive banquets at Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. There seemed to be general approval of the course he had taken in Great Britain. As yet few signs appeared of the fierce and bitter controversy which was to follow when the policy which had been elaborated in consultation with the Admiralty was laid before the House of Commons.

Not until December 5th was there full and definite disclosure of the government's programme. In the speech outlining and defending the proposals the prime minister reviewed conditions in Europe, emphasized the navy as the Empire's strong arm of defence, pointed out that the trade routes vital to the existence of the Empire were inadequately protected by reason of necessary concentration in home waters, that the

IT

CHAPTER XXIX

AGAIN IN OPPOSITION

was not the fortune of Sir Wilfrid Laurier to be restored to office. He accepted defeat with apparent serenity and there was not less courtesy, urbanity and dignity in his bearing in Parliament. Nor was he less beloved by his own party or less esteemed by the masses of the people. There are those who insist that the capacity of a political leader is measured by the degree of hatred he inspires among his opponents. But they were few who hated Laurier and few towards whom he cherished animosity. Resolute, unyielding, uncompromising he could be in pursuit of his objects, and to win he could wound, but the desire to wound was seldom a dominating motive and there was not much of malice or envy in his disposition.

There is reason to think, however, that he never was reconciled to the defeat over reciprocity. He was uneasily conscious of the fact that he had misread public opinion and underrated the forces against which he would have to contend. He resented the action of the protected interests which he had persuaded himself would be inactive in the contest. He was unrelenting in his

ships owned, manned, and maintained by Canada and contemplating construction as soon as possible in Canada is not an adequate or satisfactory expression of the aspirations of the Canadian people in regard to naval defence, and is not an assumption by Canada of her fair share in maintaining the naval strength of the Empire." The amendment expressed regret that no immediate action was to be taken to give effect to the resolution unanimously adopted by parliament in 1909 and further declared that to increase the power and mobility of the imperial navy by the addition by Canada under the Naval Service Act of 1910 of two fleet units to be stationed on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada respectively, rather than by a contribution of money or ships, was the policy best calculated to afford relief to the United Kingdom in respect of the burden of imperial naval defence and, in the words of the Admiralty memorandum to "restore greater freedom to the movements of the British squadrons in every sea and directly promote the security of the Dominions and that the Government of Canada should take such steps as would lead to the accomplishment of this purpose as speedily as possible.

There was consistency in Sir Wilfrid's position and if, as he firmly believed, there was no emergency in Europe there was strength in his argument. Moreover, he would have been more than