Mr. KARL HOMUTH (Waterloo South):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Munitions and Supply (Mr. Howe) or to the Minister of National Defence (Mr. Rogers). A few days ago a nation-wide call went out through the whole country for blankets. It was generally presumed that they were for the Red Cross. I have had some correspondence and some calls with regard to this appeal which indicate that the blankets

are not for the Red Cross but for refugees, soldiers and hospital patients. A great many patriotic people and organizations got busy and went out and purchased a lot of blankets and paid the retail price for them. If the facts are as I understand them, it is the government's responsibility to supply these blankets. The people are really paying too much for them. I would ask the Minister of Munitions and Supply or the Minister of National Defence to clear this matter up.

Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Munitions and Supply):

Mr. Speaker, I happen to have some knowledge of the matter, quite by accident, because my wife is associated with Red Cross work. An appeal was sent out by the Red Cross for blankets for refugees either in France or elsewhere on the continent, and neither the war supply board nor the Department of National Defence nor any department of government had any part in the matter at all.

Mr. T. L. CHURCH (Broadview):

I should like to ask the Minister of National Defence (Mr. Rogers) a question, based upon a cable dispatch in the Canadian press of yesterday. Can Canadians who were domiciled in England at the outbreak of war enlist over there in the Canadian forces as they did in the great war? The same question was raised in the British house yesterday morning. Will the minister look into the matter and give a reply at his convenience? In the last war it was very easy for Canadians living over there to sign up.

Hon. NORMAN McL. ROGERS (Minister of National Defence): I shall be very glad to take notice of the question. I may say at the moment that authority has been given for the limited enlistment of Canadians overseas for special purposes.

Mr. CHURCH:

Have they to return to Canada to enlist?

Mr. ROGERS:

No. But the authority is limited at the present time.

Mr. CHURCH:

A little too much "status."

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Would the minister enlarge a little on the question of the limited authority for special purposes? -because apparently that, after all, is very much limited.

Mr. ROGERS:

I will take notice of the questions and answer them later.

Privilege-Mr. Bruce

Hon. H. A. BRUCE (Parkdale):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of privilege.

My attention has been called to a statement made in the house on May 28th by the Minister of Munitions and Supply (Mr. Howe) in replying to a reference made by me earlier in the day to a Canadian factory's ability to make tanks. The minister stated, as reported in Hansard on page 309:

So when a man stands up and makes reckless statements about two firms in Hamilton that can build tanks-

And so on. I wish to tell the minister that I am not in the habit of making reckless statements.

Order.

Mr. THORSON:

The hon. member should state his point of privilege.

Mr. SPEAKER:

The hon. member has raised a question of privilege. He must state his point.

Mr. BRUCE:

I will explain it all in a

moment.