The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-12-23
CANADA READY TO Send
LARGE army TO front
PREM|ER'BORDENSAYs

fees Of thousand years. All the
lives sacrificed and all the treasure
expended In the struggle will have
been in vain IL humanity must stu
endure so ;intolerabie q restraint add
ed to the staggering burden which
this conflict will itself entail upon
all the warning nations. Such, how
ever, would be the result Of an In
conclusive peace. The people OF the
British Dominipns. are animated by
stern resolve that there shall be
no such outcome. It is for the fu:-
ture peace OF the world that we fight
to the end. The chief insignia OF o
civilized nation are orderly govern
ment and respect for the law. A
Standardization which cannot es-
tablish and maintain an equally high
international standard will assuredly
crumble. II. It POUNDS itself upon
the Jungle creed. to the jungle 1t
will return.
"a Canadian medical officer who
was taken prisoner by the Germans
told me that one Of the first cues
lions asked by his captors was this
What did the English say to induce
Canadians to fight for them?' Ihave
heard the same idea In the British
Islands when gratitude was express
ed to Canada for assistance to Great
Britain in this war. This is by'sno
means the viewpoint Of Canadians.
We take part in this struggle be-
cause the destiny of the Worldwide
British common preserve its power
and influence; and because we con-
ceive that, as one of those nations,
there is for US the highest oppor-
tuntty to advance the cause of hui
mainly and civilization, to do our
part worthily in the worlds work.
The student of government finds
in the organization OF the. British
empire an astonishing confusion Of
varied systems. To govern such an
empire at all is as great an under-
taking as history has ever known.
May ask a moments considera-
ton OF those involved in the govern
ance Of the British Dominions. A
territory more than three times
greater than that Of the United
States; scattered over all the contin-
ents and through all the oceans: a
total population four times greater
than yours; a white population iii
tle more than one-half your own OF
which three-fourths reside within the
relatively uncomfortable area of the
British Islands; an almost Infinite
variety and divergence Of race and
creed; discordant ideals; and social
conditions; conflicting ex-economic
interests; four self goyerning nations
one In the northern and three III, the
southern hemisphere all rapidly de-
lvsloplng In power and influence; a
great dependency with a. population
;ot 300.000,000 embracing a dozen,
races with q bewildering divergence
OF creed. caste, tradition, custom ana
language; protectorates involving re-
sponslDility for the development of
great territories and the. protection
and welfare Of large populations: a
score Of fiscal systems under which
each unit OF the,empire leyies custom
duties against the remainder: the
safeguarding OF territories which IN
some part OF the world touch those Of
every other great power; the protec-
ton OF the ocean pathways without
which necessary inte nunication.
could not be assured; the necessity
OF considering all these carried and
sometimes conflicting interests and
conditions in determining questions
touching foreign relations: a varied
ana seemingly confused medley Of
statutes: charaters. orders in. council.
conventions. traditions and under.
standings for the goyernance Of ali
tsese widespread possessions; con-
s,der this very imperfect summary
OF the conditions and problems which
meet those called upon to adminfs-
ter to the affairs OF our vast common
wealth. A hasty Judgment would de-
termine that any structure SO appar-
emily unstable must crumble at the
first great shock.
1T shall be to, the. honor OF the
British race as long as this war IL
remembered that the principle upon
which is founded the goyernanea ri.
our empire bound together all its
lar-fung domintons and all its peo-
pie OF varied and divergent race, Ian
guage. creed and ideal. by ties which
proved even stronger In war times
IMAM IN peace. 1t is founded upon
tho principle Of liberty and upon the,
theory and practice Of autonomous
government applied wherever condi-
aons permit and to the most gener-
our extent that experience can pos
sioly sanction. For this supreme
reason the empire is strong in the
day Of trial. 80
The outbreak Of the war found.
Great Britain utterly unpreparei for
military operations upon the tremen-
dous scale which has been found
necessary. Communication between;
our scattered possessions Is essential
70 their unity and continued national
existence! The fighting power Of the
empire Is concentrated almost wholly.
IN the navy. established with no ag-
lgressiye intention, and maintained
solely for self-protection and self
preservation. Attempted aggression
against any great military nation un-
der such conditions was utterly In
conceivable. for our military power
was relatively insignificant. Apart
from every other consideration the
absolute lack Of adequate military
preparation for this war speaks for
itself and unanswerably proclaims
that the dominions which owe alle-
glance to the British crown followed
the paths Of peace and earnestly de-
sired to- avoid war.
Such indeed WAS tfa ideal of the