June 19, 1944 (19th Parliament, 5th Session)

Hon. R. B. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

I desire to direct to the Minister of National Defence a question of which I have given him verbal notice. What are the reasons of security which prevent the Canadian people from knowing the extent of the casualties in France, having regard to the fact that Lieutenant-General Bradley, at a press conference on the beachhead on June 17, disclosed to the war correspondents present that American casualties for the first eleven days of the invasion totalled 16,883, including 3,283 known dead, and 12,600 wounded? If there is to be one rule for the people of the United States and another for the Canadian people, I think the position should be clarified, and we should be given convincing reasons why they disclosed the casualty figures and the Canadian government refuses to do likewise.