Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister):

I should like to make a short statement regarding the treatment of Canadians in China.

The house will wish to know that the United Kingdom charge d'affaires in Peking today presented a note to the Chinese viceminister of foreign affairs on behalf of and with the approval of the governments of Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, regarding the treatment accorded their nationals in China.

The note referred to previous communications on this subject which had expressed grave concern for the widespread arrests and frequent detention incommunicado of foreign nationals, and also drew attention to the hardships suffered by persons who were prevented or delayed from leaving China. The note pointed out that new arrests had taken place and listed the names of fifty-five United Kingdom, Canadian, Australian and United States citizens who are now understood to be in jail. In addition, there is an undetermined number of persons who are understood to be undergoing one form or another of house arrest.

The United Kingdom charge d'affaires has asked the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs for information regarding the charges against those persons who have been arrested, the sentences, if any, which have been passed upon them, and their present whereabouts and welfare. He has also asked for facilities to enable him to communicate with them.

Of the fifty-five, seven Canadians are known to be imprisoned. They are Bishop Cuthbert O'Gara, Bishop Gustave Prevost, Sister Ste. Marie-Germaine, Sister Ste. Alphonse du Redempteur, Sister Raymonde Marie, Father Eugene Lauzon, Father Arsenius Mullin.

Reports received during the past eighteen months from individuals leaving China had indicated that Canadians had not in general been physically maltreated, although some had been subjected to imprisonment and to the humiliation and indignities of what we

would call mock "trials". We are therefore greatly shocked to learn of the death of Father Joseph Leon Arcand at the Franciscan mission hospital at Chefoo on February 8. He had been serving a six months' jail sentence and was brought in a deplorable condition to the hospital where he died shortly after his admission. This is the first case which has come to our attention in which there is reason to believe that the death of a Canadian missionary has been caused or hastened by serious neglect or maltreatment on the part of the Chinese communist authorities.

The fate of the five Sisters of the Immaculate Conception who were tried publicly in Canton on December 2, 1951, has of course been a continuing cause for anxiety. I know all Canadians were relieved to learn that the three sentenced to deportation had reached Hong Kong safely on February 28. However, when we received a first-hand account of their ordeal we were profoundly shocked by the deliberately callous treatment meted out to the sisters, apparently for the purpose of discrediting western humanitarian institutions in China. It seems to be the long-term policy of the Peking government to expel all western missionaries from China, or to make their lives so difficult that they will leave the country. In fact there has been a steady exodus from China of missionaries of all nationalities. According to our information, only 145 Canadians remain in China today, of whom about 100 are missionaries.

I know all hon. members share the concern of the government for the safety and well-being of Canadian missionaries in China and will be glad to be assured that everything within our means will continue to be done to assist them until they can get out.

Mr. George A. Drew (Leader of the Opposition):

I am sure that all members of this house share the concern felt by the government as to the plight of Canadians who have been serving in China. We welcome the information we have received which is of a reassuring nature, but learn with great regret of the death the Prime Minister has reported. Canadians will be shocked to learn of the circumstances under which this occurred, and will hope it may be possible, by joint action of the governments associated in the defence of our free way of life, to obtain assurances from the communist government that those now in prison will be

1424 HOUSE OF

National Defence-Irregularities released. I am sure no member of this house and no loyal Canadian believes for one moment that the charges preferred against these representatives of various religious bodies have any foundation whatever in fact.

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, following the discovery and investigation of grave irregularities in the engineer detachment at Petawawa camp, charges have been laid in the civil court against five civilians and one service officer, and it is expected that further charges will be laid. Mr. J. W. Pickup, Q.C., of Toronto, has been appointed by the Department of Justice as special counsel in these cases.

In view of the rule that a member while speaking must not refer to any matter on which a judicial decision is pending, I shall not refer to that aspect; but hon. members will recognize that this matter has two aspects, one, criminal, with which the courts will deal, and the other, administrative. I am sure the house will permit me to report on the situation and what I am doing to rectify it.

The irregularities first came to the attention of the department several months ago and arose out of the disposal of scrap under contracts made by Crown Assets Disposal Corporation for the sale of thirty tons in 1950 and fifteen tons in 1951.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

On what date was it first ascertained that there was any trouble?

Mr. Claxfon:

In October, 1951. An investigation was started immediately, and it was found that under cover of these contracts about 380 additional tons were taken out. Had all the material illegally taken been scrap, it would have had a value of about $9,000, but it included some used shower stalls, stoves, wash sinks ami steel rails. The shower stalls, stoves ana shiks had been salvaged when replaced with new equipment or when old wartime buildings had been taken down. They had not yet been declared surplus pending a further survey to determine which of these items might be useful on a temporary basis. So far as ascertained, the only new material removed was some 600 lengths of soil pipe having a value of about $6 per length. Seizures have been mace or the

material that has been traced, and a considerable part of it should be recovered. It also included a used weighing scale and shovel boom, but these have been recovered.

The investigation has disclosed no foundation for the reports alleging irregularities and deficiencies in the construction of buildings in the twenty-two major construction projects under way at Petawawa. However, other irregularities were found arising out of the employment of engineer civilian and service personnel and equipment, and these are still being investigated by the R.C.M.P. and provost corps. These irregularities also included the sale to contractors of some timber and gravel in the camp area.

It is not possible yet to estimate accurately the loss to the public caused by these irregularities so far discovered, but from the reports so far made it would appear that the total loss to the public may be as much as $50,000. Reports so far indicate that no personnel are involved outside of the engineer detachment at Petawawa and the employees of the civilian contractors.

In addition to the investigation being continued by the R.C.M.P. and the provost corps, I have engaged Mr. George S. Currie, chartered accountant of Montreal, a former deputy minister of national defence, to make a full investigation of the situation, security and accounting procedure for engineer stores, equipment and services at Petawawa and elsewhere; his powers and terms of reference have no restrictions whatever. Everything possible will be done to get to the bottom of this situation and take such action and adopt such remedies as may be required.

In conclusion I would like to add that if in the course of its work the select committee on defence expenditure would like to look into the stockkeeping, accounting or auditing procedure, or any other matter relating to its work, on the spot and anywhere, all facilities will be provided.

THEFT OF STORES AND OTHER IRREGULARITIES-* MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT UNDER STANDING ORDER 31

Mr. George A. Drew (Leader of the Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, since the subject has been introduced at this time, and since hon. members are anxious to know as much as they can about the circumstances which have been disclosed, I feel I should point out that it is not within the competence of the minister or of any other member of this house to vary the terms of reference of a committee which has been set up to discuss defence expenditure. Therefore I ask leave to move, seconded by the hon. member for Lake Centre (Mr. Diefenbaker), under

standing order 31, the adjournment of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the necessity for an immediate inquiry into the administration, and especially the accounting methods, of the Department of National Defence, the laxity of which has been revealed by the wholesale looting of military property, and by continuing incidents such as:

(a) the looting and disappearance of the Farnham military training centre down to and including the buildings, disclosed as early as December, 1949;

(b) the theft of stores and paints reported by the member for Peterborough West (Mr. Fraser) to the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Justice, and the failure on the part of such ministers to take effective action upon the information which they had received;

(c) the theft by carload lots of hundreds of tons of supplies including such military equipment, according to press reports, as a baby tank;

(d) the theft of property at various military establishments throughout Canada, with the revelation that officers had been ordering men under their command to assist in acts of theft and fraud;

(e) fraudulent government inspection of military property;

(f) the outbreak of incendiary fires in military storehouses, significantly timed in such a way that they could have hidden the extent of any looting and thefts which had taken place in these storehouses.

Mr. Speaker:

May I refer hon. members to standing order 31, under which this motion is made. It reads:

Leave to make a motion for the adjournment of the house (when made for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance) must be asked after the ordinary daily routine of business has been concluded and before notices of motions or orders of the day are entered upon.

The ordinary daily routine of business has not been concluded, and even if I considered the motion in order I could not accept it at this time. May I also mention that I have received a similar notice of motion from the hon. member for Kootenay West (Mr. Her-ridge), who no doubt proposes to move it at a later stage. His motion is not as lengthy as this one, but it is along similar lines.

It occurs to me that this matter can be discussed in the near future. It is a very important matter, but the motion must relate to something which has occurred in the immediate past. The motion before the house refers to incidents which took place some time ago. The matter must be one of such

National Defence-Irregularities urgency that the regular proceedings of the house should be interrupted because there will not be an opportunity of discussing the subject in the near future.

If I recall correctly, on the last day the house sat it was decided that tomorrow we would proceed with the debate on the budget. No doubt that debate will continue for a number of days, and ample opportunity will be given at that time to discuss this question. The motion has not been made at the proper time and I will have to rule that the motion cannot be considered at this time in the day's proceedings. Even if it were in order I could not allow the motion to stand on the ground of urgency.

Mr. Drew:

At the moment I am not questioning the ruling, Mr. Speaker; but if it were merely a question of complying with the timing of the motion I could read it again. Do I understand that the ruling is that it could not be presented again after the introduction of bills?

Mr. Speaker:

I thought I should decide that question now. I quite understand the purport of what the leader of the opposition has been saying-that he could introduce 'the motion at a later stage. I thought I should point out now that even if that were done I could not allow the motion to stand. The matter is not of such urgency that the regular proceedings of the house should be disturbed because there will not be an opportunity in the near future to discuss it. As I have said, the debate on the budget will commence tomorrow, when there will be ample opportunity to discuss this question.

Mr. Drew:

In view of the fact that you have expressed your opinion, sir, in regard to the time at which the resolution was introduced, I might explain the purport and content of the resolution itself by saying that I introduced it at this time because the Minister of National Defence (Mr. Claxton) had introduced the subject. I wonder if, in view of the ruling, Your Honour is willing to hear any views as to the reason why this matter should be discussed at this time.

Mr. Speaker:

I do not think I could do that, but I think I should allow the leader of the opposition, if he feels so disposed, to ask further questions of the Minister of National Defence with regard to this matter. He could do so now, or when the orders of the day are called.

Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport):

Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table the

Criminal Code

budgets of the Canadian National Railways and the Canadian National (West Indies) Steamships, Limited, for the calendar year 1952.

Mr. H. R. Argue (Assiniboia) moved

for leave to introduce Bill No. 180, to amend the Criminal Code and the Combines Investigation Act (liability of directors).