New Britain herald., 1915-12-23
CANADA'S RELATIONS
 TO EUROPEAN WAR
No Inclusive Peace Shall Ter minate Struggle, Says Premier

l. the other British dominions are as firmly resolved as is the mother coun- try that the European war shall not be terminated by any inconclusiye peace, declared Sir Robert Laird Bor- den, the prime minister of the Cana dian government, in an address Ia st night at the 10th annual dinner of the New England society in New York.
 It was the first public address de- livered by Sir Robert in the United States since the beginning of the war and it follows closely upon his visit to England and France for official con- ferences as to Canadian participation in the conflict After reviewing his own intimate associations with New England lie and ideals, and recalling among other things, how many thou sand canadians fought under the Stars and Stripes in New England regiments during the Civil war, and speaking Of the phenomenal growth of the Canadian dominion, he outlined the relations of Canada to the Euro pean war. He said:
 Call and Test.
 "To the Canadian people thus inn mersed in the pursuit of material de- velopment there came little more than year ago call and a test which searched and tried the spirit of the nation. Until then Canada had known little of the actualities of war for a century. The course which she should pursue was entirely within the judg- ment and disposition of her parlia- ment and people. From the first time there was not the slightest hesi- tation.
 Recalled hurriedly to Ottawa on the first day of August, 1914, I took the responsibility in the absence of my colleagues, of sending to the Brit ish government a message which ex- pressed our most earnest hope that 8 peaceful solution of international diffi- culties might be achieved and our strong desire to cooperate in every possible way for that purpose; but which conveyed also to that govern ment the firm assurance that if un- happily war should ensue the Cana dian people would be united in a com mon resolve to put forth every effort and to make every sacrifice necessary to ensure the integrity and maintain the honor of our empire.
 Pledge Fully Redeemed.
 "The pledge thus given has been most fully redeemed by the Canadian people.
 1T do not propose to argue or affirm the justice of our cause The great controlling facts have been firmly es- tablished and they are widely known. Upon these facts the people of the neutral nations must found their own conclusions. The Canadian people
 
 and intense conviction that our cause is just and that it will prevail. Un- doubtedly it concerns the powers, in- fluence and destiny of our empire But we are convinced beyond all ques- tion that this conflict is of vastly wid- CT significance and that it's determin- ation must exercise a profound influ- ence upon the worlds future. Man. kind have never been so grievously oppressed by the 'peine forte ct dure' of militarism and armaments as dur ing the past half century. This is not an inspiring record after all the aspir- ation, the effort and the sacrifices of a thousand years. All the lives sac- rificed and all the treasure expended in the struggle will have been in vain if humanity must still endure so in- tolerable restraint added to the stag ering burden which this conflict will itself entail upon all the warning na- tions. Such, however, would be the | result of an inconclusive peace The 1 people of the British dominions are | by stern resolve that l there shall be no such outcome It is 1 for the future peace of the world that 1 we fight to the end. Int chief insig- nia of a civilized nation are orderly ! and respect for the law. A world civilization which cannot es- tablish and maintain an equally high standard will assuredly crumble If it founds itself upon the jungle creed to tho jungle it will re- turn.
 First Question Asked.
 "A Canadian medical officer who 1 was taken prisoner by the Germans told me that one of the first questions asked by his captors was this: What did the English say to induce Cana lians to fight for thesn?' have heard the same idea in the British Islands when gratitude was expressed to Can ada for assistance to Great Britain in his war. This is by no means the viewpoint of Canadians. We take part n this struggle because the destiny of he worldwide British commonwealth S our destiny, because as one of it's great nations we are determined to preserve it's power and it's influence; md because we conceive that, as one # those nations there is for us the highest opportunity to advance the ,ause of humanity and civilization, o do our part worthily in the worlds york.
 "The student of government finds n the organization of the British mpire an astonishing confusion of