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Half Mast
As Prefontaine’s planned trip to Europe quickly approached, Laurier was overtaken by incredible bouts of anxiety. Prefontaine was a man who very often got results but on the other hand, his gung-ho nature tended to shoot a bit above his pay grade so to speak. Laurier was well aware of the damage that could occur with attempting changes without caution and Prefontaine did not have an ounce of caution in his body. The trip itself was equal parts private matters and government negotiations, causing Laurier to sink his ever-cautious feelers into the exact subject matter of any kind of discussions with the Admiralty. Laurier was well aware that this excursion could potentially have immensely far reaching effects on the fate of not only the planned Naval Militia and hopeful dream of a national Navy, but also the inner workings of the Fisheries Department itself. When Prefontaine was presented with Laurier’s list of approved topics, his heart sunk in his chest. While the list did include a probe about setting up a naval academy, the remainder of the subject matter consisted of relatively mundane Fisheries matters.
If Laurier had expressed to Prefontaine to proceed with care, the media within Canada seemed to be working overtime to undo such efforts. The Canadian Military Gazette (largely viewed as the official voice of the Militia) would publish a statement reading, “Prefontaine is the most active and progressive minister who has the goal of gathering information to aid him in establishing a germ which will hopefully grow into a Canadian Navy. Those who know him intimately are authority for the statement that he is very much in earnest with his naval militia scheme.” Prefontaine himself added further fuel to the fire when he addressed the Canadian press prior to his trip with the following,
“The object of my visit is primarily to make a study of the best mode to be adopted for the organization of our marine department as a nucleus for a naval reserve. The dominion government to-day owns about forty vessels employed in harbor and channel improvement service and in fishery protection duties. Two of these, the Vigilant and the Canada, might be described as third-class cruisers, and one of them, the Canada, carries a cannon. We are now face to face with a serious difficulty, the scarcity of proper officers and sailors. The dominion government employs about 1,000 officers and men. Some of the former have been in the British Navy. We hope to adopt some system of naval training on the lines of the military school at Kingston. It might be possible to add to the college curriculum some courses on marine subjects, thus enabling cadets there to make a choice between a naval and a military career.”
Prefontaine earlier in his political career and with a bit more hair to his name, his signature mustache readily apparent.
The Winnipeg Free Press decided to stop stoking the controversy and poured fuel oil directly onto the fire. Their editor was somehow approved to write a sprawling headline along the lines of “This trip to Britain will herald a new stage in the constitutional development of the dominion as a whole. Canada is taking over the entire responsibility of her own defense; in modernizing her militia system; in making a start in the establishment of a Canadian Navy, makes it very clear that she intends to be a factor in the future in the world politics in alliance with the mother-land. But it will be an alliance, not a merger.”
These press reports had succeeded in both bolstering Prefontaine and shaking the rest of the Canadian political system. The recently promoted Governor General of Canada, Albert Grey, went as far to query Laurier personally regarding the legitimacy of these reports. While Laurier was truthful in the fact that these reports were unsubstantiated, his comments that Prefontaine was only going to Europe for ‘private matters’ was purely a lie. Laurier was well aware that Prefontaine was not departing simply for private matters however between his lack of accompaniment from relevant figures within the Canadian naval movement for support and constant prodding from Laurier to stay his hand, Laurier prayed that nothing would come of this trip. Any notion of such things vanished as soon as Prefontaine arrived in Britain.
Political caricature of Minister Prefontaine later in his career.
His first cable to Laurier asked if Commander Spain of the Fisheries Service could be chartered to Britain as soon as possible, as Prefontaine required his presence to ‘secure information relating to a naval reserve organization’. Laurier was mortified, rapidly returning the cable with a message explaining his situation. Commander Spain was acting as Ottawa’s main wreck commissioner alongside his many other duties, meaning he could not leave the country. Laurier was blunt in his message, “No arrangement should be undertaken with the Admiralty unless previous consultation with us here.” Prefontaine himself seemed to have ignored Laurier and had went directly to the Admiralty. At a dinner party in London, Prefontaine explained the following to the Admiralty staff in attendance:
“As regards the navy we are as yet in our infancy, we are just beginning the task and I happen to be in London as your guest tonight because my government has thought that we should establish in Canada a naval reserve or some kind of organization. Little by little we will come to form a part of a great British navy and be a power in defending the empire wherever and whenever the occasion may arise. It is gratifying to me, as a Canadian, to be able to say that, when I am called upon in Canada, as minister of marine to present a report upon my mission in London. I shall be able to acknowledge how nicely, how loyally and how splendidly, I have been received at the Admiralty by the authorities of the late government, and how well disposed are the representatives of the new government towards Canada. If the arrangements are carried out as they are proposed, there can be no question as to the result and I can tell my fellow citizens of all the other colonies that, as regards a naval reserve and the organization of the navy, Canada will do it’s duty to the Empire.”
Once news of Prefontaine’s actions had reached Laurier, he immediately began firing off cables as fast as possible to try and slow his rogue minister. Warning his minister that negotiations without approval from Ottawa will likely remain open and lead to nothing but hurt feelings and disappointment. Prefontaine was confused by Laurier’s attitude on this situation, in his mind, Prefontaine had thought he was doing vital and ground-breaking work. Canada’s ongoing acquisition of both Esquimalt and Halifax alongside the Admiralty's willingness to provide information and assistance in the organization of a naval militia had steeled Prefontaine’s resolve. The Minister would cable Laurier stating, “There is no reason to fear complications through the good work that has been done by Strathcona and myself.”
Laurier never would hear from Prefontaine again as on Christmas Day of 1905, he suffered a serious angina and would pass suddenly in his sleep while visiting acquaintances in Paris. While it can be argued either way what Prefontaine’s trip did and could have achieved for the best or for the worst, Canada was suddenly robbed of arguably it’s most important and hard-working advocate for naval development. His death would not the end of the idea for a naval militia or a Canadian Navy however, his forward thinking and passion for action was one of the best dichotomies to Laurier and his over-cautiousness at times. Prefontaine’s successor while somewhat swiftly appointed, would eventually bring the fallen ministers dream into a reality.
Montreal funeral procession for Minister Prefontaine (right) and funeral service, attended to by both sailors and soldiers (left), January 25, 1906. Citizens of Montreal idolized their former major as throughout his time in the position, he had heavily modernized and improved almost all avenues of the inhabitants lives.
If Laurier had expressed to Prefontaine to proceed with care, the media within Canada seemed to be working overtime to undo such efforts. The Canadian Military Gazette (largely viewed as the official voice of the Militia) would publish a statement reading, “Prefontaine is the most active and progressive minister who has the goal of gathering information to aid him in establishing a germ which will hopefully grow into a Canadian Navy. Those who know him intimately are authority for the statement that he is very much in earnest with his naval militia scheme.” Prefontaine himself added further fuel to the fire when he addressed the Canadian press prior to his trip with the following,
“The object of my visit is primarily to make a study of the best mode to be adopted for the organization of our marine department as a nucleus for a naval reserve. The dominion government to-day owns about forty vessels employed in harbor and channel improvement service and in fishery protection duties. Two of these, the Vigilant and the Canada, might be described as third-class cruisers, and one of them, the Canada, carries a cannon. We are now face to face with a serious difficulty, the scarcity of proper officers and sailors. The dominion government employs about 1,000 officers and men. Some of the former have been in the British Navy. We hope to adopt some system of naval training on the lines of the military school at Kingston. It might be possible to add to the college curriculum some courses on marine subjects, thus enabling cadets there to make a choice between a naval and a military career.”
Prefontaine earlier in his political career and with a bit more hair to his name, his signature mustache readily apparent.
The Winnipeg Free Press decided to stop stoking the controversy and poured fuel oil directly onto the fire. Their editor was somehow approved to write a sprawling headline along the lines of “This trip to Britain will herald a new stage in the constitutional development of the dominion as a whole. Canada is taking over the entire responsibility of her own defense; in modernizing her militia system; in making a start in the establishment of a Canadian Navy, makes it very clear that she intends to be a factor in the future in the world politics in alliance with the mother-land. But it will be an alliance, not a merger.”
These press reports had succeeded in both bolstering Prefontaine and shaking the rest of the Canadian political system. The recently promoted Governor General of Canada, Albert Grey, went as far to query Laurier personally regarding the legitimacy of these reports. While Laurier was truthful in the fact that these reports were unsubstantiated, his comments that Prefontaine was only going to Europe for ‘private matters’ was purely a lie. Laurier was well aware that Prefontaine was not departing simply for private matters however between his lack of accompaniment from relevant figures within the Canadian naval movement for support and constant prodding from Laurier to stay his hand, Laurier prayed that nothing would come of this trip. Any notion of such things vanished as soon as Prefontaine arrived in Britain.
Political caricature of Minister Prefontaine later in his career.
His first cable to Laurier asked if Commander Spain of the Fisheries Service could be chartered to Britain as soon as possible, as Prefontaine required his presence to ‘secure information relating to a naval reserve organization’. Laurier was mortified, rapidly returning the cable with a message explaining his situation. Commander Spain was acting as Ottawa’s main wreck commissioner alongside his many other duties, meaning he could not leave the country. Laurier was blunt in his message, “No arrangement should be undertaken with the Admiralty unless previous consultation with us here.” Prefontaine himself seemed to have ignored Laurier and had went directly to the Admiralty. At a dinner party in London, Prefontaine explained the following to the Admiralty staff in attendance:
“As regards the navy we are as yet in our infancy, we are just beginning the task and I happen to be in London as your guest tonight because my government has thought that we should establish in Canada a naval reserve or some kind of organization. Little by little we will come to form a part of a great British navy and be a power in defending the empire wherever and whenever the occasion may arise. It is gratifying to me, as a Canadian, to be able to say that, when I am called upon in Canada, as minister of marine to present a report upon my mission in London. I shall be able to acknowledge how nicely, how loyally and how splendidly, I have been received at the Admiralty by the authorities of the late government, and how well disposed are the representatives of the new government towards Canada. If the arrangements are carried out as they are proposed, there can be no question as to the result and I can tell my fellow citizens of all the other colonies that, as regards a naval reserve and the organization of the navy, Canada will do it’s duty to the Empire.”
Once news of Prefontaine’s actions had reached Laurier, he immediately began firing off cables as fast as possible to try and slow his rogue minister. Warning his minister that negotiations without approval from Ottawa will likely remain open and lead to nothing but hurt feelings and disappointment. Prefontaine was confused by Laurier’s attitude on this situation, in his mind, Prefontaine had thought he was doing vital and ground-breaking work. Canada’s ongoing acquisition of both Esquimalt and Halifax alongside the Admiralty's willingness to provide information and assistance in the organization of a naval militia had steeled Prefontaine’s resolve. The Minister would cable Laurier stating, “There is no reason to fear complications through the good work that has been done by Strathcona and myself.”
Laurier never would hear from Prefontaine again as on Christmas Day of 1905, he suffered a serious angina and would pass suddenly in his sleep while visiting acquaintances in Paris. While it can be argued either way what Prefontaine’s trip did and could have achieved for the best or for the worst, Canada was suddenly robbed of arguably it’s most important and hard-working advocate for naval development. His death would not the end of the idea for a naval militia or a Canadian Navy however, his forward thinking and passion for action was one of the best dichotomies to Laurier and his over-cautiousness at times. Prefontaine’s successor while somewhat swiftly appointed, would eventually bring the fallen ministers dream into a reality.
Montreal funeral procession for Minister Prefontaine (right) and funeral service, attended to by both sailors and soldiers (left), January 25, 1906. Citizens of Montreal idolized their former major as throughout his time in the position, he had heavily modernized and improved almost all avenues of the inhabitants lives.
- RelativeGalaxy7
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