▁away ▁many ▁Canadian ▁doub ts ▁about ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁Empire . ▁The ▁country ▁pl ung ed ▁into ▁battle ▁alongside ▁Australia ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁over se as ▁domin ions . ▁The ▁war ▁rev ived ▁the ▁debate ▁over ▁imperial ▁organization . ▁This ▁time , ▁Canada ▁and ▁Australia ▁were ▁firm ly ▁un ited ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁identical ▁goals . ▁ ▁The ▁war ▁placed ▁domin ion ▁govern ments ▁in ▁an ▁awk ward ▁position . ▁Although ▁they ▁remained ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁their ▁national ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁al lied ▁cause , ▁Britain ▁retained ▁complete ▁control ▁over ▁strategy ▁and ▁high ▁policy . ▁During ▁the ▁initial ▁stages ▁of ▁the ▁conflict , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁war ▁would ▁only ▁last ▁a ▁few ▁months , ▁this ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁was ▁perfectly ▁acceptable . ▁But ▁as ▁the ▁war ▁drag ged ▁on ▁and ▁its ▁hor r ifying ▁scale ▁became ▁apparent , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁domin ion ▁premiers ▁became ▁rest ive ▁and ▁une asy . ▁During ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁B orden ▁began ▁to ▁w age ▁a ▁campaign ▁intended ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁domin ions ▁more ▁fully ▁informed ▁of ▁the ▁war ' s ▁progress . ▁Early ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁the ▁newly ▁elected ▁Australian ▁prime ▁minister , ▁W . M . ▁" B illy " ▁Hugh es , ▁joined ▁B orden ' s ▁cr us ade . ▁After ▁a ▁brief ▁meeting ▁in ▁Ott awa , ▁the ▁two ▁agreed ▁on ▁a ▁broad ly ▁similar ▁set ▁of ▁domin ion ▁object ives