Mr. Pearson:

I have had a word with the hon. member for Lake Centre about this motion, and have informed him that all the information asked for was tabled by my colleague, the Minister of National Defence (Mr. Claxton), on May 25 last. In the circumstances I hope he will allow this motion to be dropped.

Mr. Speaker:

Dropped.

Mr. MacLean (Cape Breton North and Victoria):

For a copy of all correspondence from March 1950, to date, in connection with the matter of appointing a superintendent of pilots for the Sydney harbour district.

Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport) moved:

That it is expedient that the houses of parliament do approve the convention of the world meteorological organization signed at Washington on October 11, 1947, and tabled on February 14, 1949, and that this house do approve the same.

He said: The object of this resolution is manifold: First, to facilitate world-wide

co-operation in the establishment of networks of stations for the making of meteorological observations; second, to promote the establishment of systems for the rapid exchange of information; third, to promote the standardization of meteorological observations; fourth, to further the application of meteorology to aviation, shipping and agriculture; and, finally, to encourage research.

Because of the rapid progress of aviation and the universal interest in meteorology, it is becoming increasingly important to achieve world-wide co-ordination of weather services. It was decided at two international meetings held at Toronto and Washington to recommend the establishment of a world meteorological organization. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The cost to Canada will not be extensive, being in the neighbourhood of $3,000 or $4,000.

We have an excellent network of observation stations throughout the various regions of Canada, and we co-operate with the United States, with whom we operate joint weather stations in the north. There are a number _ of weather stations on the north Atlantic as well as on the Pacific.

The convention has been signed by forty states, and will come into effect when there are thirty ratifications. It is hoped that parliament will accept this convention. The following countries have deposited instruments of ratification: Australia, Burma,

Czechoslovakia, Dominican republic, Norway, Peru, The Philippines, Sweden, and a number of others.

I recommend the formal adoption of the convention of the world meteorological organization.

Meteorological Convention

Mr. Howard C. Green (Vancouver-Quadra):

Mr. Speaker, it may not be necessary to debate this resolution at any length, but no notice- was given on Friday that it would be up for consideration by the house today. Therefore I would move the adjournment of the debate. I would ask the minister to have distributed to hon. members copies of this convention, which apparently was tabled over a year ago.

Mr. Chevrier:

It was tabled and distributed to hon. members.

Mr. Green:

That was over a year ago, and many of us do not have copies.

Mr. Chevrier:

I do not think there would be any difficulty in obtaining them from the distribution office. I have no objection to an adjournment of the debate.

Motion (Mr. Green) agreed to and debate adjourned.

Mr. Gordon Graydon (Peel):

Mr. Speaker, a news item from Montreal which appeared in the press last week indicated that two residents of Montreal, Mr. and Mrs. Vern Tremewen, had had difficulties with the authorities in Mexico and had been lodged in jail, Mr. Tremewen having been badly beaten while in custody. I understood that these people were Australian citizens and perhaps would be making a plea through the United Kingdom authorities in Mexico, but yesterday and the day before the radio referred to them as Canadian citizens. Would the minister of external affairs care to clear up the matter, so we may know the exact situation?:

Hon. L. B. Pearson (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

Mr. Speaker, I shall be very glad to say what I can to clear this matter up, as there seems to be some misunderstanding about it. When I read the reports in the press I asked for a report on the incident. My information is that Mr. and Mrs. Tremewen are Australian citizens. They are now living in Montreal, but have not yet acquired Canadian citizenship. Therefore when Mr. and Mrs. Tremewen got into difficulties with the Mexican authorities, they asked for the intervention, through the Australian high commissioner in Canada, of the United Kingdom representative in Mexico. I believe it is the custom, when a nation of the commonwealth has not its own representative in a foreign country, to use the United Kingdom representative in that country. The

Inquiries of the Ministry intervention of the United Kingdom representative was, I believe, speedy and effective, and the Australian citizens in question were quickly released, If they had been Canadian nationals it would have been our duty to intervene. If as Australians they had asked for the intervention of the Canadian ambassador in Mexico we should have been very glad to put him at their service, but they took the other and the normal course.

Mr. J. G. Diefenbaker (Lake Centre):

I

should like to direct a question to the Minister of Finance. I did not give him notice, but I am sure the matter came to his attention. It has to do with the imprisonment of Mrs. Bessie Ellis-Reid, of Ottawa, on two charges of violation of wartime prices and trade board regulations. I read the report in the press on Saturday and made some investigation myself. It would appear that there was unnecessary harshness in the imprisonment meted out to her. I should like to ask the minister if he is in a position to report on the matter.