El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-23

a young nation spring TO arms at the
I call Of duty and who has been inspired
Z by its wonderful Outburst of patriotism
3 and its spirit Of self-sacrifice; one
J who has had the privilege of addressing
/ the flower Of his cOuntry's youth
I within sound and range Of the enemy's
guns as well as in the hospitals and
! cOnvalescent homes beyond the seas.
I and has stood by the graves of those
I who fell in France and in Belgium; one
I who has looked forth upon the valley
| at the foot Of the hills that sweep
I around 1pres. and has realized that
/ more than one hundred thousand men
/ had there found their graves within
I twelve months-such a person must
! surely realize the tragedy of this war
and the awful responsibility of those
] who forced II upon the world
Canada Was Unprepared.
The outbreak of hostihties found US
I utterly unprepared with military forces
Z adequate for the vast operations which
were Immediately found necessary
/ Never, perhaps not even in the stress
which came upon this Republic more
. than half a century ago has the ca
pacity OF democracy been so thoroughly
and searchingly tested We were called
Z upon 20 meet the assault Of the great
| est military power ever known in the
world. a highly efficient. thoroughly
organized and determined people.
trained 10 arms. magnificently
equipped. provided with every military
necessity and so industrially organized
! that the whole force OF the nation
I could be thrown behind the blow which
I il struck
without pausing to speak of the
I mighty influence which this war must
exercise upon the worlds future I may
be permitted to express my conception
Of what IL will accomplish for the
closer unity Of our empire. Never be-
fore have the mother country and the
various dOminions and dependencies
been so closely united in ideal, inspir-
alton and effort as in this conflict In
hospitals and cOnvalescent homes be-
yond the seas ! have many times met
men from the British islands. from
Australia. New Zealand and Canada
brought together in close association
and cOmradeship, each learning the
better TO realize their empire, and all
united in a common determination 10
do their duty in this war to the end.
One can hardly eXaggerate the i'm
mense advantage of such association
and blending of the empires manhood"
No IBeOncIusive Peace.
Canada and the other British do
minions are as firmly resolved as is
the mother country that the European
war shall not be terminated by any in
concIusiYe peace. declared Sir Robert
IN an address Wednesday night at the
10th annual dinner of the New Eng
lanJ Society in New York.
After reviewing his own intimate as
sociations with New England life and
ideals, and recalling, among other
Things how many thousand Canadians
fought under the Stars and Stripes in
civil war and speaking of the phen-
omenal growth of the Canadian do
minion. he outlined the relations Of
Canada to the European war. He said
Recalled hurriedIy TO Ottawa on the
first day Of August. 1914, / took the re-
sponsibility, in the absence of my col
leagues, OF sending TO the British
government message which expressed
our most earnest hope that a peaceful
solution Of international difficulties
might be achieved and our strong de-
sire to cooperate in every possible wav
Tor that purpose; but which conveyed
also TO that Government the firm as
surance that II unhappily war should
ensue the Canadian people would be
united in a common resolve to put
forth every effort and to make every
sacrifice necessary to ensure the in
tegrity and maintain the honor of our
empire.
The pledge thus given has been
most fully redeemed.
I do not propose to argue or affirm
me justice of our cause. The great
controlling facts have been firmly es-
abolished and they are widely known.
Upon these facts the people of the
neutral nations must found their own
conclusions. The Canadian people are
impressed with the most earnest and
intense conviction that our cause IS
Just and that it will prevail
"A Canadian medical officer who was
taken prisoner by the Germans told
me that one of the first questions
asked by his captors was this: What
qld the English say to induce Cana
dams to fight for them2' I have heard
the same idea in the British Islands
when gratitude was expressed to Can
ada for assistance to Great Britain in
the war This is by no means the
viewpoint of Canadians. We take part
IN this struggle because the destiny of
the worldwide British commonwealth
IS our destiny, because as one of its
great nations we are destined to pre-
serve its power and influence.
Canada Devoted to Empire.
Has our national spirit been ade- /
quately responsive to the nations !