Mr. J. D. TAYLOR (New Westminster):

I have great pleasure in answering the challenge of the hon. gentleman (Mr. Lemieux). The Conservative party of British Columbia stand to-day where they have always stood on the subject of Oriental immigration. As to the Temajrks of the hon. gentleman about the lack of discussion the other day on the subject of the participation in the Imperial Conference of our Indian fellow-subjects, one would think that the reason for that would appeal to the hon. gentleman, the same as the reason for abstention from harsh discussion' of Japanese ambitions might also appeal to the hon. gentleman and some of his friends. It seems to me that it would be well that we should try to cement our alliance with the friends of the Empire and secure from some of these Allies the assistance in fighting the battles of the Empire, whiich is refused to us in other quarters where we have a right to expect it. So far as I am concerned, I welcome the presence of our Indian soldiers on the fields of Flanders and of France. I welcome the presence of the Japanese fleet on the Pacific ocean to supply the deficiencies which the lack of a naval policy on the part of the hon. gentleman and his colleagues produced on the Pacific ocean.

Mr. TAYLOR:

If hon. gentlemen are finished, although I do not blame them for being a little bit uneasy at what they have invited, I would like to tell them the difference between the condition of affairs with respect to the Chinese Exclusion Act at the time they were in power and the present. We found that when hon. gentlemen were in power the exemptions under the Act were made the instruments, not of keeping Chinese out of Canada, but of bringing them into Canada under the pretence of a right of exemption when they had no such right, upon paying a toll of $100 secretly instead of the $500 to be paid openly, four-fifths of which $100 went, as shown by the evidence before the commis- ^ sioner, to the campaign fund of the Liberal party. We have confidence that under the present Administration the use of the Chinese exemption clause to provide funds for party purposes has become a thing of the past. I know of no reason why Chinese who desire to be educated in the universities of Canada should not have the privilege of being educated in those institutions, and it is because of my belief that that is the honest intention of this amendment, and not that lit is opening the door to the surreptitious entry of Chinese for the benefit of some grafters in British Columbia that I am content to accept the Bill.

Whenever I find that this exemption is being used as the exemptions were used during the regime of hon. gentlemen opposite, then they may depend upon it that I shall be quite as vigorous in calling at, tention to it as I ever was in calling attention to the abuse of Chinese or other oriental immigration. In the meantime, the Chinese, like the Japanese and Hindoos, are very valuable Allies of the British cause, the Canadian cause. They are, in very large numbers, coming forward for the purpose of serving as labourers in France, and the Chinese Government is showing every disposition to assist in every possible way the cause of the Allies in contributing of the labour of their country. It does seem to me that with respect to the

Chinese in a smaller degree as with respect to the Japanese and Hindoos in a larger degree, all those people are entitled during these times of the stress of war to a little more consideration than we owed to them in times of peace.

Mr. TAYLOR:

Is that all there is to the question?

Mr. TAYLOR:

I ask the hon. gentleman: What about those submarines?

Mr. TAYLOR:

I rise to a question of privilege. The hon. gentleman says, in what I would not call a sneering manner, because it is not parliamentary to use that term, but I cannot find the proper word to express it-but the hon. gentleman challenges my being a member of His Majesty's army. I wish to know if that is the position of the loyal Opposition in this House, that it has become a crime to become a member of His Majesty's army?

Mr. P.UGSLEY: I would not suggest that for a single moment. What I rose especially to do was to express my profound astonishment that gentlemen on the other side of the House had not risen in their places and protested against the hon. gentleman introducing petty, party politics during this time when the attention of Parliament should be directed to greater issues. If gentlemen pn this -side were to follow that hon. gentleman, we might

4 p.m. get into a discussion which would be exceedingly unpleasant and exceedingly out of place. I should think that a member of this House, and particularly one who wears His Majesty's uniform, should be rather above that sort of thing at the present time.