New-York tribune., 1909-10-03
XXXIV.
London. September (.

London, September (.
,,-a Ninto has now passed from the great
Governor General Of the Dominion to
.,m greater Viceroyalty Of India. But
uf hona il viii he long before his reign in
aEs VIII be forgotten. Possibly the Cana
g.. might not use, and may not like. he
Go ,eigr. They are a susceptible as well as
..- peopIe. They are jealous Of their lib
rhi-h are in no danger. and OF the word
Ian. 10 s. hich they have some claim. over
,.s,v-es though il be by their greater neigh
~ the south. have seen more instances
one Of canadian sensitiveness: Of which
-; take the simplest. Having to pay for a
-ns.e in an ottawa shop. ! asked the shop
- whether he would take an American
.rote lie answered. with a flushed face:
~ consider cur money much American
..,rrs We have the same right as you to
me name American.
..pr all means but what do you call our
money?
7-rifed states l-lls."
.,,s what do you call me-"
D., 70 that simple question he had no answer
And l rather imagine the time has come.
coming. when the Canadian may be as
If the name which Identifies him with the
I'm half of the continent as we are of the
..fre We have TO share. more or less, with
- rnever heard Of 4 Mexican calling him
-, american but I believe the Latin races
=. south do: and forget sometimes TO put
south before H.
- Nnto was Governor General while Mr..
,,..~berlain vas colonial Secretary; period
- transition. of imperial transition, to which
~ chamberlain led the way Nobody has ever
,,--otten his adjuration TO all Englishmen TO
- f,7reriallv As remember Canada dur
- several visits she was Al that time more in
,.,ss 10 think independently. Not that any
..r+v in the Dominion meditated a secession
-, the empire. nut there was a pretty distinct
.-,in. and claim. of colonial autonomy. Can
-, came f~st. as canada. and not part OF
,f ,arire The moment when imperial con-
..s.-stious first became dominant in the Cana
s,- mind was the moment of the Boer War.
There il is that Lord Ninto's name became
,-sissolubly allied with the Dominion. His
share in that great transaction of the Canadian
,rrngeni 10 south Africa has never, / THINK
besr fully understood by the British public. Nor
would il ever be II the matter We're left TO him.
y. MAS never "a man Ia advertise himself or his
deeds dare say he viii not like my telling the
aay. though ! shall tell il only as II was told TO
mr.. and the teller had nothing to do with Gov
erHmem House.
u
would SEND troops. There was ! am told, an
uncertain feeling about the militia organization.
ihsn on a different footing from the present.
There were awkward stories of corruption and
i7eRaency Il was doubted whether a force
oafcered and equipped in conditions then exist
ng would do credit TO the Dominion, There
were hestati0us on other grounds. But when
finally a levy was voted. Lord Mimic. who had
taken no part in the discussion and could take
none avaed himself Of his authority as Gov
error General and Of his experience as soldier,
and gave his personal attention TO the organiza-
non Of the contingent Il was stated 10 me
much more strongly than that, and my informal Mt
seemed 10 doubt whether Lord Mimic did not
exceed or al least strain his prerogatives as
representative Of the Crown. If he did much
TIE better The English have ever liked a SER
'ant in high place who was not afraid Of re-
possibilities But for my purpose il is enough
say thar Lord Mimic took an active part in
,aese m0mcntous preparations. think no on
~ was appointed without his .anction; no con-
uar for supplies entered into which he did not
approve. no arrangement Of any kind made but
rron his initiative or with his express consent.
The result was that the Canadian forces
reached South Africa a body Of soldiers fit for
me field. not rs = mere aggregation of men food
knows what service they did. There were no
better troops ~ the kind; perhaps not many of
any kind better adapted for the work they had
10 do. and tor coping with such an enemy as the
Beers. They did more than their contract called
tor in the field. They builded better than they
knew. They made il plain TO all men that the
country which had sent such troops as these
Il many thousands Of miles beyond the seas 10 the
relief of the imperial forces Of Great Britain was
4 itself an integral and Indispensable part Of the
/ empire
whereas, Il they had failed or only half sue
Il eeaea' they would have done little good TO the
L hilusn arms in South Africa and none at all 10
We imperialism ~ which Canada to-day is a
| pui"ark And If this is a true account, as /
/ 't-eFe Il 70 Doe. of the way i'm which these two
] great results was brought about, the credit of
/ '-em belongs more 10 Lord Mimic than to any
Other man.
90 not offer this as an explanation Of the re-
safa IN hich Lord Mimic was held 1t could
l "'' ne an explanation, because il was not gem
4 TaAy known. There were other reasons. at the
oI q" which should plt his common sense, his
Sincerity and. Of course. that devotion TO duty
"'ch every Governor General is presumed 10
possess. which in him was conspicuous. Every
o''y lkee him nobody doubted him. He made
interests ~ Canada his own He traversed
90 'esl territory from end 10 end again and
l eoi- ne held court not in ottawa only. but
E'eoec ln Halifax, in Toronto. and in that
1 -oi'h Where Canada touches Alaska and the
- harvest ri The soil is gold His five years
- - zane 10 an end. but the Colonial Office and
4 1-i-a'Aent House and the people Of Canada
go nm 10 stay on, and so the five years be-
- SIX a period on which to look back with
Il
-''sea IS again fortunate ia her Governor Cen
80 ana in his relations with those who mould
opinion on the American side Of the bor-
imagine IL may not be known in England
n ' Aisi conquered the respect and good viii
IL ~' Americans II was al 4 dinner OF some
- hundred OF s.y hundred reorle At the WI