New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-24
CANADIANS TAKING
WAR VERY QUIETLY
Rural Districts Fail to
Furnish Their Share
of Recruits.
LACK OF EQUIPMENT
DELAYS PREPARATION
Effectiveness of Censorship
Shown by Secrecy with
Which Troops Sailed.

tBy Telegraph TO The TTipune'J
Toronto, Oct. 23.-With more than
$4,000 soldiers across the Atlantic and
preparations under way for sending OF
in succession further contingents Of
10000 each as East as they can be or
ganized and equipped. it is surprising
how little sign of war one sees in
/ Canada. City streets are as usual, OK
cept that occasionally there breaks into
view a regiment. swinging along. IN
fours, without music, except as FUR
nished by their own voices. Although
mostly raw recruits, and sometimes
half OF them dressed only in civilian
clothes, they generally appear bust
nesslike, marching with the air OF vet
Grams. The rifles they carry show that
they have been at shooting practice.
Social affairs are being curtailed be-
cause the young men are spending their
evenings at drill and the young women
are knitting. The most obvious sign
OF war times is that every one is sing
ing, whistling or playing tits long
way TO Tipperary," though every one
recognizes it as a freak song made pop
ular by a within of fortune. II has none
Of the merit of Soldiers of the Queen"
which inspired the populace during the
South African war, and lacks even such
Appropriateness as the "H0t Time IN
the Old Town" of Spanish-American
war days.
From some districts, particularly tho
older settled and rural districts, come
reports that the war has made no I'M
preston at all, being regarded as some
thing beyond the horizon Of Cana
dians. From the point Of view Of
business as usual" this is all right,
but from the point of view of recruit
ing it is not satisfactory. There are
towns of 1000 population which have
not vet furnished a single volunteer.
An active propaganda is under way to
bring home to all Canadians a realiza-
ton of the gravity of the circum-
stances which menace the existence Of
the empire.
Regiments Lack Uniforms.
Delay in preparations for further
contingents has been caused by lack of
equipment. Regiments are lacking
even uniforms and rifles, to say moth
ing of the score of other necessary ac-
cessories. 1t is understood that cOnsid-
cradle anxiety has been removed on
LnlS score Dy tut iullHe VI bHt CnItSu
States government that contraband OF
war, including even arms, may be ex-
ported by private firms, even to bel
ligerent countries, without violating
American neutrality. The risk of seiZ-
ure of such exports to Canada is con-
sidered negligible. OF course, Canadi-
an manufacturers will dislike to see
any good Canadian government orders
e.. 10 trxr hrt al
of speed will doubtless make such I'M
avoidable.
There has been a distinct increase in
bitterness against the German people
during the last few weeks, possibly due
chiefly to what Canadians believe to be
evidences of numberless instances of
far-sighted treachery. German Ca
nadians of Western Canada have adj
dressed a petition to the Premier COM
planning of discrimination and of the
attitude of Canadian newspapers. The
first complaint is described as unfound-
ed and the second as lmpertinent.
1t is a tribute to the effectiveness of
the censorship-effe chiefly by
reason Of the self-restraint of the
newspapers the story of the sail
ing Of the Canadian contingent, one OF
the most important and spectacular
transatlantic military expeditions the
world has ever seen, remained unre-
corded for three weeks after the event
and until the contingent was landed
safely in England A few fragmentary
statements were published in the in
terval, but some of them were untrue,
others were mere blinds and the fact is
that for three weeks the Canadian pub
lie did not know whether the troops
were in Canada or on the high seas or
in Europe. One report given credence
through private circulation was that
they had gone direct to France and
that they were already in the battle
trenches.
Keen to Get to the Front.
And now there is ensconced on Sails
bury Plains a Canadian army of $4,000
men, complete as an army in every
particular and ready to take the field
as soon as it had such experience in
large manpuvres and the science of
| 1914 warfare as satisfies the War Of
| fee that no unnecessary risk Will be
run in pitching il against the highly
trained German troops. The men are
keen to get to the front, and hope TO be
there before Christmas. In fact, the
chief handicap to recruiting in the
early stages was the fact that some
thought there would not be much
| chance of Canadians seeing actual war
fare, and prospective recruits under
such circumstances hesitated to give up
Jobs and disarrange their affairs
merely for the sake OF few months
| inactivity in camp.
One effect of the censorship is to
permit and foster the circulation OF all
sorts Of rumors Of alleged happenings
in Europe. Here is list of reports
all based on "indisputable but private
information encountered in one after
noon:
! General French was killed a month
ago.
A famous prince is a prisoner in the
Tower Of London on charge Of hav'
ing revealed the secrets Of Namur
Another prince has been shot in Eng
land as spy.
J Two Of the wealthiest men in Eng
land are under arrest on a charge OF
espionage.
The Indian troops were thrown in
a panic on the first day at the front
were rallied and then fired on their
/ companions in mistake.
!