the canadian dominion-第36节

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d　gave　the　Government　fifty…eight　per　cent　of　the　popular　vote　and　sixty…five　per　cent　of　the　seats　in　the　House。　Confidence　in　the　administrative　capacity　of　the　new　Government；　the　belief　that　it　would　be　more　vigorous　in　carrying　on　the　war；　the　desire　to　make　Quebec　do　its　share；　the　influence　of　the　leaders　of　the　Western　Liberals　and　of　the　Grain　Growers'　Associations；　wholesale　promises　of　exemption　to　farmers；　and　the　working　of　the　new　franchise　law　all　had　their　part　in　the　result。　Eight　months　after　the　Military　Service　Act　was　passed；　it　had　added　only　twenty　thousand　men　to　the　nearly　five　hundred　thousand　volunteers；　but　steps　were　then　taken　to　cancel　exemptions　and　to　simplify　the　machinery　of　administration。　Some　eighty　thousand　men　were　raised　under　conscription；　but　the　war；　so　far　as　Canada　was　concerned；　was　fought　and　won　by　volunteers。

〃The　self…governing　British　colonies；〃　wrote　Bernhardi　before　the　war；　〃have　at　their　disposal　a　militia；　which　is　sometimes　only　in　process　of　formation。　They　can　be　completely　ignored　so　far　as　concerns　any　European　theater　of　war。〃　This　contemptuous　forecast　might　have　been　justified　had　German　expectations　of　a　short　war　been　fulfilled。　Though　large　and　increasing　sums　had　in　recent　years　been　spent　on　the　Canadian　militia　and　on　a　small　permanent　force；　the　work　of　building　up　an　army　on　the　scale　the　war　demanded　had　virtually　to　be　begun　from　the　foundation。　It　was　pushed　ahead　with　vigor；　under　the　direction；　for　the　first　three　years；　of　the　Minister　of　Militia；　General　Sir　Sam　Hughes。　Many　mistakes　were　made。　Complaints　of　waste　in　supply　departments　and　of　slackness　of　discipline　among　the　troops　were　rife　in　the　early　months。　But　the　work　went　on；　and　when　the　testing　time　came；　Canada's　civilian　soldiers　held　their　own　with　any　veterans　on　either　side　the　long　line　of　trenches。

It　was　in　April；　1915；　at　the　second　battle　of　Ypresor；　as　it　is　more　often　termed　in　Canada；　St。　Julien　or　Langemarckthat　the　quality　of　the　men　of　the　first　contingent　was　blazoned　forth。　The　Germans　had　launched　a　determined　attack　on　the　junction　of　the　French　and　Canadian　forces；　seeking　to　drive　through　to　Calais。　The　use；　for　the　first　time；　of　asphyxiating　gases　drove　back　in　confusion　the　French　colonial　troops　on　the　left　of　the　Canadians。　Attacked　and　outflanked　by　a　German　army　of　150；000　men；　four　Canadian　brigades；　immensely　inferior　in　heavy　artillery　and　tortured　by　the　poisonous　fumes；　filled　the　gap；　hanging　on　doggedly　day　and　night　until　reenforcements　came　and　Calais　was　saved。　In　sober　retrospection　it　was　almost　incredible　that　the　thin　khaki　line　had　held　against　the　overwhelming　odds　which　faced　it。　A　few　weeks　later；　at　Givenchy　and　Festubert；　in　the　same　bloody　salient　of　Ypres；　the　Canadian　division　displayed　equal　courage　with　hardly　equal　success。　In　the　spring　of　1916；　when　the　Canadian　forces　grew　first　to　three　and　then　to　four　divisions；　heavy　toll　was　taken　at　St。　Eloi　and　Sanctuary　Wood。

When　they　were　shifted　from　the　Ypres　sector　to　the　Somme；　the　dashing　success　at　Courcelette　showed　them　as　efficient　in　offense　as　in　defense。　In　1917　a　Canadian　general；　Sir　Arthur　Currie；　three　years　before　only　a　business　man　of　Vancouver；　took　command　of　the　Canadian　troops。　The　capture　of　Vimy　Ridge；　key　to　the　whole　Arras　position；　after　months　of　careful　preparation；　the　hard…fought　struggle　for　Lens；　and　toward　the　close　of　the　year　the　winning　of　the　Passchendaele　Ridge；　at　heavy　cost；　were　instances　of　the　increasing　scale　and　importance　of　the　operations　entrusted　to　Currie's　men。

In　the　closing　year　of　the　war　the　Canadian　corps　played　a　still　more　distinctive　and　essential　part。　During　the　early　months　of　1918；　when　the　Germans　were　making　their　desperate　thrusts　for　Paris　and　the　Channel；　the　Canadians　held　little　of　the　line　that　was　attacked。　Their　divisions　had　been　withdrawn　in　turn　for　special　training　in　open　warfare　movements；　in　close　cooperation　with　tanks　and　air　forces。　When　the　time　came　to　launch　the　Allied　offensive；　they　were　ready。　It　was　Canadian　troops　who　broke　the　hitherto　unbreakable　Wotan　line；　or　Drocourt…Queant　switch；　it　was　Canadians　who　served　as　the　spearhead　in　the　decisive　thrust　against　Cambrai；　and　it　was　Canadians　who　captured　Mons；　the　last　German　stronghold　taken　before　the　armistice　was　signed；　and　thus　ended　the　war　at　the　very　spot　where　the　British　〃Old　Contemptibles〃　had　begun　their　dogged　fight　four　years　before。

Through　all　the　years　of　war　the　Canadian　forces　never　lost　a　gun　nor　retired　from　a　position　they　had　consolidated。　Canadians　were　the　first　to　practice　trench　raiding；　and　Canadian　cadets　thronged　that　branch　of　the　service；　the　Royal　Flying　Corps；　where　steady　nerves　and　individual　initiative　were　at　a　premium。　In　countless　actions　they　proved　their　fitness　to　stand　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　the　best　that　Britain　and　France　and　the　United　States　could　send：　they　asked　no　more　than　that。　The　casualty　list　of　220；000　men；　of　whom　60；000　sleep　forever　in　the　fields　of　France　and　Flanders　and　in　the　plains　of　England；　witnesses　the　price　this　people　of　eight　millions　paid　as　its　share　in　the　task　of　freeing　the　world　from　tyranny。

The　realization　that　in　a　world　war　not　merely　the　men　in　the　trenches　but　the　whole　nation　could　and　must　be　counted　as　part　of　the　fighting　force　was　slow　in　coming　in　Canada　as　in　other　democratic　and　unwarlike　lands。　Slowly　the　industry　of　the　country　was　adjusted　to　a　war　basis。　When　the　conflict　broke　out；　the　country　was　pulling　itself　together　after　the　sudden　collapse　of　the　speculative　boom　of　the　preceding　decade。　For　a　time　men　were　content　to　hold　their　organization　together　and　to　avert　the　slackening　of　trade　and　the　spread　of　unemployment　which　they　feared。　Then；　as　the　industrial　needs　and　opportunities　of　the　war　became　clear；　they　rallied。　Field　and　factory　vied　in　expansion；　and　the　Canadian　contribution　of　food　and　munitions　provided　a　very　substantial　share　of　the　Allies'　needs。　Exports　increased　threefold；　and　the　total　trade　was　more　than　doubled　as　compared　with　the　largest　year　before　the　war。

The　financing　of　the　war　and　of　the　industrial　expansion　which　accompanied　it　was　a　heavy　task。　For　years　Canada　had　looked　to　Great　Britain　for　a　large　share　alike　of　public　and　of　private　borrowings。　Now　it　became　necessary　not　merely　to　find　at　home　all　the　capital　required　for　ordinary　development　but　to　meet　the　burden　of　war　expenditure；　and　later　to　advance　to　Great　Britain　the　funds　she　required　for　her　purchase　of　supplies　in　Canada。　The　task　was　made　easier　by　the　effective　working　of　a　banking　system　which　had　many　times　proved　its　soundness　and　its　flexibility。　When　the　money　market　of　Britain　was　no　longer　open　to　overseas　borrowers；　the　Dominion　first　turned　to　the　United　States；　where　several　federal　and　provincial　loans　were　floated；　and　later　to　her　own　resources。　Domestic　loans　were　issued　on　an　increasing　scale　and　with　increasing　success；　and　the　Victory　Loan　of　1918　enrolled　one　out　of　every　eight　Canadians　among　its　subscribers。　Taxation　reached　an　adequate　basis　more　slowly。　Inertia　and　the　influence　of　business　interests　led　the　Government　to　cling　for　the　first　two　years　to　customs　and　excise　duties　as　its　main　reliance。　Then　excess　profits　and　income　taxes　of　steadily　increasing　weight　were　imposed；　and　the　burdens　were　distributed　more　fairly。　The　Dominion　was　able　not　only　to　meet　the　whole　expenditure　of　its　armed　forces　but　to　reverse　the　relations　which　existed　before　the　war　and　to　become；　as　far　as　current　liabilities　went；　a　creditor　rather　than　a　debtor　of　the　United　Kingdom。

It　was　not　merely　the　financial　relations　of　Canada　with　the　United　Kingdom　which　required　readjustment。　The　service　and　the　sacrifices　which　the　Dominions　had　made　in　the　common　cause　rendered　it　imperative　that　the　political　relations　between　the　different　parts　of　the　Empire　should　be　put　on　a　more　definite　and　equal　basis。　The　feeling　was　widespread　that　the　last　remnants　of　the　old　colonial　subordination　must　be　removed　and　that　the　control　exercised　by　the　Dominions　should　be　extended　over　the　whole　field　of　foreign　affairs。

The　Imperial　Conference　met　in　London　in　the　spring　of　1917。　At　special　War　Cabinet　meetings　the　representatives　of　the　Dominions　discussed　war　plans　and　peace　terms　with　the　leaders　of　Britain。　It　was　decided　to　hold　a　Conference　immediately　after　the　end　of　the　war　to　discuss　the　future　constitutional　organization　of　the　Empire。　Premier　Borden　and　General　Smuts　both　came　out　strongly　against　the　projects　of　imperial　parliamentary　federation　which　aggressive　organizations　in　Britain　and　in　some　of　the　Dominions　had　been　urging。　The　Conference　of　1917　recorded　its　view　that　any　coming　readjustment　must　be　based　on　a　full　recognition　of　the　Dominions　as　autonomous　nations　of　an　imperial　commonwealth；　that　it　should　recognize　the　right　of　the　Dominions　and　of　India　to　an　adequate　voice　in　foreign　policy；　and　that　it　should　provide　effective　arrangements　for　continuous　consultation　in　all　important　matters　of　common　concern　and　for　such　concerted　action　as　the　several　Governments　should　determine。　The　policy　of　allianc