Mr. J. G. Diefenbaker (Leader of the Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister in connection with two articles in the current issue of the Financial Post. Is it correct, as reported in these articles, that the Prime Minister recently sent a letter of protest or objection to the President of the United States against the give-away program of the surplus agricultural products of the United States? If so, when was that letter of protest sent? Has the President replied to it?

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

Mr. Speaker, I saw the two items in the Financial Post to which the hon. gentleman has referred and I was very much surprised to see them. I do not think I should either confirm or deny that there have been any such letters. There are occasions when it is necessary for those who have responsibility to have confidential conferences, and this method of publishing certain statements and then getting a confirmation or denial would make the system of confidential interviews or confidential correspondence lose practically its whole value. If there is a statement that there has been confidential correspondence and that it is not to be disclosed, there are people who are so suspicious as to think there must be something to hide in that kind of correspondence. I think it is highly desirable that those who are in responsible positions can have these confidential communications without there being this publicity that is not helpful to the ultimate results that are sought to be achieved.

I am sorry that I feel I should not comply with the hon. gentleman's request to either confirm or deny what is in this report. I have had confidential communications, either orally or in writing, on many occasions concerning many different subjects with the President of the United States. There is nothing that should be hidden in those confidential exchanges, but they were directed to achieving results which would be more difficult to achieve if there could not be these

frank, confidential exchanges of views. I am quite sure if I attempted to publicize things that both the President and I consider as confidential it would destroy the basis upon which we have been having these confidential exchanges.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

Mr. Speaker, this goes further than that. On January 24, 1957, the Minister of Trade and Commerce, when asked whether there had been any protest, used these words which appear at the bottom of page 589 of Hansard for that date:

We do not file our protests in writing; we file them through the committee.

The question as to whether or not there was a protest made to the President of the United States is one in respect of which this house has the right to information. This is not a personal conversation, this is a protest on behalf of the people of Canada, if indeed such a protest was made; and for the Prime Minister to take the stand that when it is convenient not to give information to parliament the method of going about it is simply to make a protest-

Order.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

*-in a whisper is not in keeping with the rights of parliament. I ask the Prime Minister once more for this information, because too often throughout this session the house has been denied information to which it is entitled.

Rubbish.

Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

Mr. Speaker, I made no official protest as Prime Minister of Canada to the President of the United States.

Mr. Solon E. Low (Peace River):

Are there any iron curtain countries whose ports are open to the traders from our nation or from any of the free nations to which traders could ply to negotiate purchases in those countries?

Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

So far as I know, every Russian port is open to ships of the world just as Canadian ports are open to ships of the world.

Inquiries of the Ministry

Mr. Low:

I did not make the question clear. Is it not true that Canadian traders in the ports of the iron curtain countries have to deal through a government corporation in most of those countries? If not, are there any iron curtain countries where ports are free so far as negotiations and purchases are concerned?

Mr. Howe (Pori Arthur):

No. I think all the communist countries trade through state trading organizations; at least Russia does. Sales and purchases are made through that organization.

Mr. D. F. Brown (Essex West):

Mr. Speaker, may I be permitted to address two questions, one to the Minister of Labour and one to the Minister of Finance. I regret that I have not had an opportunity of giving notice of these questions. My first question will be directed to the Minister of Labour.

Is the minister aware of the serious labour situation in the city of Windsor? If so, is there anything the minister can do to rectify the condition?