the canadian dominion-第35节

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jects　of　another　part　of　the　British　Empire。　Further　trouble　followed　when　the　Sikhs　reached　Calcutta　in　September；　1914；　for　riots　took　place　involving　serious　loss　of　life　and　later　an　abortive　attempt　at　rebellion。　Fortunately　there　were　good　prospects　that　the　Indian　Government　would　in　future　accept　the　proposal　made　by　Canada　in　1909。　At　the　Imperial　Conference　of　1917；　where　representatives　of　India　were　present　for　the　first　time；　it　was　agreed　to　recommend　the　principle　of　reciprocity　in　the　treatment　of　immigrants；　India　thus　being　free　to　save　her　pride　by　imposing　on　men　from　the　Dominions　the　same　restrictions　the　Dominions　imposed　on　immigrants　from　India。


But　all　these　dealings　with　lands　across　the　sea　paled　into　insignificance　beside　the　task　imposed　on　Canada　by　the　Great　War。　In　the　sudden　crisis　the　Dominion　attained　a　place　among　the　nations　which　the　slower　changes　of　peace　time　could　scarcely　have　made　possible　in　decades。

When　the　war　party　in　Germany　and　Austria…Hungary　plunged　Europe　into　the　struggle　the　world　had　long　been　fearing；　there　was　not　a　moment's　hesitation　on　the　part　of　the　people　of　Canada。　It　was　not　merely　the　circumstance　that　technically　Canada　was　at　war　when　Britain　was　at　war　that　led　Canadians　to　instant　action。　The　degree　of　participation；　if　not　the　fact　of　war；　was　wholly　a　matter　for　the　separate　Dominions。　It　was　the　deep　and　abiding　sympathy　with　the　mother　country　whose　very　existence　was　to　be　at　stake。　Later；　with　the　unfolding　of　Germany's　full　designs　of　world　dominance　and　the　repeated　display　of　her　callous　and　ruthless　policies；　Canada　comprehended　the　magnitude　of　the　danger　threatening　all　the　world　and　grimly　set　herself　to　help　end　the　menace　of　militarism　once　for　all。

On　August　1；　1914；　two　days　before　Belgium　was　invaded；　and　three　days　before　war　between　Britain　and　Germany　had　been　declared；　the　Dominion　Government　cabled　to　London　their　firm　assurance　that　the　people　of　Canada　would　make　every　sacrifice　necessary　to　secure　the　integrity　and　honor　of　the　Empire　and　asked　for　suggestions　as　to　the　form　aid　should　take。　The　financial　and　administrative　measures　the　emergency　demanded　were　carried　out　by　Orders…in…Council　in　accordance　with　the　scheme　of　defense　which　only　a　few　months　before　had　been　drawn　up　in　a　〃War　Book〃。　Two　weeks　later；　Parliament　met　in　a　special　four　day　session　and　without　a　dissenting　voice　voted　the　war　credits　the　Government　asked　and　conferred　upon　it　special　war　powers　of　the　widest　scope。　The　country　then　set　about　providing　men；　money；　and　munitions　of　war。

The　day　after　war　was　declared；　recruiting　was　begun　for　an　expeditionary　force　of　21；000　men。　Half　as　many　more　poured　into　the　camp　at　Valcartier　near　Quebec；　and　by　the　middle　of　October　this　first　Canadian　contingent；　over　30；000　strong；　the　largest　body　of　troops　which　had　ever　crossed　the　Atlantic；　was　already　in　England；　where　its　training　was　to　be　completed。　As　the　war　went　on　and　all　previous　forecasts　of　its　duration　and　its　scale　were　far　outrun；　these　numbers　were　multiplied　many　times。　By　the　summer　of　1917　over　400；000　men　had　been　enrolled　for　service；　and　over　340；000　had　already　gone　overseas；　aside　from　over　25；000　Allied　reservists。

Naturally　enough　it　was　the　young　men　of　British　birth　who　first　responded　in　large　numbers　to　the　recruiting　officer's　appeal。　A　military　background；　vivid　home　memories；　the　enlistment　of　kinsmen　or　friends　overseas；　the　frequent　slightness　of　local　ties；　sent　them　forth　in　splendid　and　steady　array。　Then　the　call　came　home　to　the　native…born；　and　particularly　to　Canadians　of　English　speech。　Few　of　them　had　dreamed　of　war；　few　had　been　trained　even　in　militia　musters；　but　in　tens　of　thousands　they　volunteered。　From　French…speaking　Canada　the　response　was　slower；　in　spite　of　the　endeavors　of　the　leaders　of　the　Opposition　as　well　as　of　the　Government　to　encourage　enlistment。　In　some　measure　this　was　only　to　be　expected。　Quebec　was　dominantly　rural；　its　men　married　young；　and　the　country　parishes　had　little　touch　with　the　outside　world。　Its　people　had　no　racial　sympathy　with　Britain　and　their　connection　with　France　had　long　been　cut　by　the　cessation　of　immigration　from　that　country。　Yet　this　is　not　the　complete　explanation　of　that　aloofness　which　marked　a　great　part　of　Quebec。　Account　must　be　taken　also　of　the　resentment　caused　by　exaggerated　versions　of　the　treatment　accorded　the　French…Canadian　minority　in　the　schools　of　Ontario　and　the　West；　and　especially　of　the　teaching　of　the　Nationalists；　led　by　Henri　Bourassa；　who　opposed　active　Canadian　participation　in　the　war。　Lack　of　tact　on　the　part　of　the　Government　and　reckless　taunts　from　extremists　in　Ontario　made　the　breach　steadily　wider。　Yet　there　were　many　encouraging　considerations。　Another　grandson　of　the　leader　of　'37；　Talbot　Papineau；　fell　fighting　bravely；　and　it　was　a　French…Canadian　battalion；　Les　Vingt　Deuxiemes；　which　won　the　honors　at　Courcelette。

When　the　war　first　broke　out；　no　one　thought　of　any　but　voluntary　methods　of　enlistment。　As　the　magnitude　of　the　task　came　home　to　men　and　the　example　of　Great　Britain　had　its　influence；　voices　began　to　be　raised　in　favor　of　compulsion。　Sir　Robert　Borden；　the　Premier；　and　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier　alike　opposed　the　suggestion。　Early　in　1917　the　adoption　of　conscription　in　the　United　States；　and　the　need　of　reenforcements　for　the　Canadian　forces　at　the　front　led　the　Prime　Minister；　immediately　after　his　return　from　the　Imperial　Conference　in　London；　to　bring　down　a　measure　for　compulsory　service。　He　urged　in　behalf　of　this　course　that　the　need　for　men　was　urgent　beyond　all　question；　that　the　voluntary　system；　wasteful　and　unfair　at　best；　had　ceased　to　bring　more　than　six　or　seven　thousand　men　a　month；　chiefly　for　other　than　infantry　ranks；　and　that　only　by　compulsion　could　Quebec　be　brought　to　shoulder　her　fair　share　and　the　slackers　in　all　the　provinces　be　made　to　rise　to　the　need。　It　was　contended；　on　the　other　hand；　that　great　as　was　the　need　for　men；　the　need　for　food；　which　Canada　could　best　of　all　countries　supply；　was　greater　still；　that　voluntary　recruiting　had　yielded　over　four　hundred　thousand　men；　proportionately　equivalent　to　six　million　from　the　United　States；　and　was　slackening　only　because　the　reservoir　was　nearly　drained　dry；　and　that　Quebec　could　be　brought　into　line　more　effectively　by　conciliation　than　by　compulsion。

The　issue　of　conscription　brought　to　an　end　the　political　truce　which　had　been　declared　in　August；　1914。　The　keener　partisans　on　both　sides　had　not　long　been　able　to　abide　on　the　heights　of　non…political　patriotism　which　they　had　occupied　in　the　first　generous　weeks　of　the　war。　But　the　public　was　weary　of　party　cries　and　called　for　unity。　Suggestions　of　a　coalition　were　made　at　different　times；　but　the　party　in　power；　new　to　the　sweets　of　office；　confident　of　its　capacity；　and　backed　by　a　strong　majority；　gave　little　heed　to　the　demand。　Now；　however；　the　strong　popular　opposition　offered　to　the　announcement　of　conscription　led　the　Prime　Minister　to　propose　to　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier　a　coalition　Government　on　a　conscription　basis。　Sir　Wilfrid；　while　continuing　to　express　his　desire　to　cooperate　in　any　way　that　would　advance　the　common　cause；　declined　to　enter　a　coalition　to　carry　out　a　programme　decided　upon　without　consultation　and　likely；　in　his　view；　to　wreck　national　unity　without　securing　any　compensating　increase　in　numbers　beyond　what　a　vigorous　and　sympathetic　voluntary　campaign　could　yet　obtain。

For　months　negotiations　continued　within　Parliament　and　without。　The　Military　Service　Act　was　passed　in　August；　1917；　with　the　support　of　the　majority　of　the　English…speaking　members　of　the　Opposition。　Then　the　Government；　which　had　already　secured　the　passage　of　an　Act　providing　for　taking　the　votes　of　the　soldiers　overseas；　forced　through　under　closure　a　measure　depriving　of　the　franchise　all　aliens　of　enemy　birth　or　speech　who　had　been　admitted　to　citizenship　since　1902；　and　giving　a　vote　to　every　adult　woman　relative　of　a　soldier　on　active　service。　Victory　for　the　Government　now　appeared　certain。　Leading　English…peaking　Liberals；　particularly　from　the　West；　convinced　that　conscription　was　necessary　to　keep　Canada's　forces　up　to　the　need；　or　that　the　War　Times　Election　Act　made　opposition　hopeless；　decided　to　accept　Sir　Robert　Borden's　offer　of　seats　in　a　coalition　Cabinet。

In　the　election　of　December；　1917；　in　which　passion　and　prejudice　were　stirred　as　never　before　in　the　history　of　Canada；　the　Unionist　forces　won　by　a　sweeping　majority。　Ontario　and　the　West　were　almost　solidly　behind　the　Government　in　the　number　of　members　elected；　Quebec　as　solidly　against　it；　and　the　Maritime　Provinces　nearly　evenly　divided。　The　soldiers'　vote；　contrary　to　Australian　experience；　was　overwhelmingly　for　conscription。　The　Laurier　Liberals　polled　more　civilian　votes　in　Ontario；　Quebec；　Alberta；　and　British　Columbia；　and　in　the　Dominion　as　a　whole；　than　the　united　Liberal　party　had　received　in　the　Reciprocity　election　of　1911。　The　increase　in　the　Unionist　popular　vote　was　still　greater；　however；　and　gave　the　Government　fifty…eight　per　cent　of　the　popular　vote　and　sixty…five　per　cent　of　the　seats