I am just in receipt of a telegram from Mr. Malcolm E.J. Reid, of Vancouver, which is badly transmitted, but which indicates that an application has been made to him for the admission to Canada of coloured men from the United States to join a construction battalion. Mr. Reid asks whether the Department will authorize the admission of coloured recruits for a construction battalion.

I think this should be turned down; judging by what I have seen and heard there is no great difficulty in securing recruits for forestry and construction battalions, and I think it would be unwise to allow a lot of coloured men to get a foothold in Canada, even under guise of enlistment in such a battalion.