Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-20
POLITICS IN CANADA.
VI-TEE PROBLEM OF LANGUAGES.
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

and the Spanish tongues India and China
are unable to cultivate a true national
feeling because their people speak divers
tongues and dialects and have no com
mon medium OF correspondence and con-
versa ton.
The United States has insisted on a
, moho-lingual system to degree al
official language Of its whole territory
except that Porto Rico retains its
Spanish and Spanish is on an equal
basis with English in the Philippines
But SO determined are the Americans
to make English the language of the
Philippines that they have set up Ian
yuaSe schools all over the islands, and
now. after only eleven years. "a greater
number of Filipinos speak English than
Spa nish
Tn Canada the English spea king peo-
pie would like to make their Language
Il IN nant
English Don't Dare but they
Force Their Language. T Tns nv so1, =
strength of the important province of
Quebec is behind the French, and the
balance of power in almost every one
OF the nine provinces is held by French
speaking voters.
Not only is language a factor in poll
ties on it's own account but if is closely
related to the religious problem Prac-
ttcally all the F'rench-speakine people
are Catholics. and the vast ma jority of
the English speaking people are Prot
estants. While there is no state church
IN canada. there is official and political
recognition of religious bodies. The
oean-ieVel equality of religious denomi-
nations in the eyes of the law as II
exists In the United States is unknown
in Canada =
In Quebec. Ontario. Alberta and Sas-
katchewan there are separate schools
1or Catholics and Protestants, support
cd by taxation. In the other provinces
!he SCHOOLS are unsectarian. but there
- aiWass more or less agitation for
separation. This educational division
always brings the religious problem
INTO provincial politics, and from thence
IL Is reflected upon federal statesman
ship.
Those Americans who foolish1y and
fondiy believe that Canada some day
VIII be annexed to the United States of
ITS own volition would do well to con-
Slder the problems arising from the
IlnSuai and religious divisions in Can
ada. Even supposing that the people
or western Canada some day should de-
sire to be annexed to the republics
most unlikely thing-such a movement
would be unanimously opposed by
The French-Canadians do not like the
United States. They would resist to the
end any movement to absorb their coun-
try into the republic in which their priv
ilcges Of a separate language, their
privileges of state-supported separate re-
iigious schools and their. other peculiar
institutions would be leveied.
Nothing could be more abhorrent to a
French-Canadian than the prospect of
some federal
Our institutions judge appointed
Abhorrent to Him. fr,n. NJ. low
sey sitting on a bench in Quebec, with
out wig. dispensing justice in the Eng
fish language according to a system OF
laws that foolishly, in his eyes, refuses
to recognize the essential differences be-
tween man who speaks French and one
who speaks English; one who is Cath
Ollie and one who is a Protestant
That he could send his senator's and
representatives to Washington would not
be solace to the French-Canadian. lie
has heard that many respectable and en-
inent kinsmen OF his from Louisiana have
spoken In the halls Of Congress, but never
the greatest of living orators exist if
he were forced to speak in foreign
tongueo
The problem OF the languages is always
source OF annoyance to Canadians, but
the Dominion has adjusted itself to the
situation, and it is no longer a ma jor
question except when the religious. racial
or sectional aspect becomes prominent.
The French-speaking people have the bal
ance of political power and will hold 1t
for many years TO come. 1t els certain
that they will use it to perpetuate their
language as the equal Of English, and
Canada will remain officially and actually
bilingual nation.
Meanwhile. the existence of this pecu-
liar circumstances makes all talk of an
nexation to the United States absurd,
and should allay the alarm of those
British imperiaIists who fear that the
growing commercial friendliness of the
United States and Canada may some day
lead into political union.
The United States tolerates no foreign
language, the French-speaking people of
Canada know it, and that is one reason
why Uncle Sam is not nearly as popular
north Of the great lakes as he sometimes;
magines he is.
TomOrrOw-POLITI IN CANADA.
VII-The Grits and the Tories.