Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-16

THE United States is at peace and Can
J. ada is at war; but so far as Nova Scotia,
outside of Amherst and Halifax, goes (Am-
herst, where the Germans are interned; Hall
fax, provincial capital, naval base, summer
and winter port and we'll defended military
establishment), one often finds it hard to re-
alize. Recruiting in those parts of Nova
Scotia, which are farming or fishing commu-
mites (and that means almost all of the pc
ninsula), has yielded rather slim results.
There are notable cases, of course like that
of the Micmac Indian. John Johnson. who
tried three times to enlist at Truro, but was
each time told that there were no instructions
to enlist Indians. John. who is %, finally
went to Halifax, where he was accepted. and
is now training for the front. John johnson
set a worth while example to his pale-face
subjects.
But 1 am not sure that enlightened sym
pathizers need regret the slackness of re-
cruiting in Nova Scotia. The fact that the
province is prospering these days as she has
not prospered this long while. is by no means
sinister. 1t means that her metal industries
at New Glasgow and elsewhere have taken
a new lease of life and are busy with the
making Of munitions and other supplies
needful to Britain-Canada's share of Brit
aims war contracts amounting to S156,000,-
900; II means that her fishermen are busy at
a time when many fishing boats of Old Eng
land have been Communicated for mine-lay-
ing mine-sweeping and patrol duty Ito say
nothing of losses in trawlers, etc, by sub
marine action), and the price of fish has
risen alarmingly in British markets; it
means that Nova Scotia lumbermen have
found new markets in England and France;
It means that Nova Scotia farmers are busy
with their crops-and Britain and her colo
nies need to study their food supply. and to
become, so nearly as possible, self-sustain-
ing.
Scandals in Army Horses
More discreditable to the Maritime Prov
inces than any relative lghtness of enlist
ment have been certain scandals in the sale
OF army horses In one case a steed which
had been traded some time since for two
ducks and drake was sold for $50. and in
another an animal rejected as too old for tho
Boer War had so regained its youth as to be
accepted at the same hgure-) But there is
brighter side even to this tale of graft The
Canadian Government has undertaken to un-
cover the malefactions and to punish the
malefactors, and that speaks well for the
spirit actuating Canada In 1915.
Obviously one reason why recruiting in
Nova Scotia has not shown more spectacular
results is the fact that high proportion of
her young men had emigrated before the
war, either 10 New England or to the Cana
dian Northwest. But the Northwest, where
such fortunes were TO have been carved out
by enterprising youth, has passed through
two exceedingly lean years, and is only now
convalescing from a financial Joy ride that
ended in something like smash. No one
remembering how population is distributed
in Canada need be much surprised II British
and Irish-born recruits furnished so TO 70 per
cent of canadas FIRST contingent. And these
men came out OF the Weat-not from the
Lower Canada OF the habitants nor from
those maritime provinces OF which Nova
Scotia Is nearest physically, to Europe
CNewfoundland Is not as yet. part of Cam
ada at ali)
Nova Scotia newspapers are relatively
tame. Also. their sources OF war news are
more limited than those OF New York ana
PhiIadelphia newspapers. Said a Brooklyn
girl In Nova Scotia the other day why,
they don't know as much about the war
here. and aren't as much interested In H. as
we are at home." She was right, doubtless.
In her first statement But the word "inter-
ested" was badly chosen.
Heroes Of the Maple Leaf
Interested" In the war Nova scotia "a
perforce. and far more vltally than the folk
WHO crowd before the builetin boards in
Chestnut street TO see what the news is
from shibe Park ana the Dardaneiles. Nova
scotias best blood Is actively 'interesteds An
the war-elther II the front or training for
war on bully beer az Valeartier. Few
American families are interested" IN the
war a. are the famllies OF these young men.
Trua General sam Hughes. Of ths c,.n.-