The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17

why tHlS 10 ~
In the first place 1t must be remem-
bored that British regiments used TO be
sent out to garrison Canada. This ser
vice was always popular in the British
army, and great numbers Of officers and
men became attached to Canada and
settled there upon retiring from mill
tary life. Thus very considerable per-
centage Of present day Canadians are
the children, grandchildren OF great
grandchildren Of British regulars, and
not a few medals earned In British cam
paIgns of the last hundred years are
handed down as heirlooms in Canadian
families
Furthermore. though Canada is no
longer garrLoned by British troops, she
has continued to draw colonlsts from the
British Isles, and not a few OF these
have been former soldiers. reservis,s and
veterans of the Beer war. Many native
born Canadians are also Boer war vet
Grams Canada having sent a force Of
1000 men to aid the British in South
Africa
OF this little army perhaps the most
famous regiment was the one financed
by Lord Strathcona and known az
Strathconas Horse This body was
composed entirely Of picked men, many
% them drawn from the Canadian
Northwest Mounted Police and It, Ike
all the other regiments which served in
South Africa. became after the war a
l.
the word militia covers everything hav-
Ing to do with the army.
One branch. called the Permanent
Force. consisting in times Of peace OF
about 5000 men at fun quO;a. CORE
spends to our standing army. The rest
Of the militia is organized much ike the
American militia. having regular drills
throughout the year and two weeks
camp in the summer time. This force
WAS about 80 900 strong at the outbreak
Of the war. Back Of these TWO forces il
the reserve, composed Of former militia
men, so that the war found the Dominion
with perhaps zoe. 900 men possessed OF
some experience in bearing arms
For the rest Canada's military back
ground depends upon the rife corps in
practically all boys schools, the very
extensive military activities in Cana
dian universities and the Royal Military
College at Kingston. Ontario where Of
hcers are trained for the army
The Canadians are of course a much
less heterogeneous race than We are
Broadly speaking, the country Is COM
nosad of 900 600 French Canadians and
100000 OF British extraction. They
are a united and extremely loyal peo-
pie, having "A passionate. almost re-
ligious devotion not only for their own
country. but for the British Empire.
1t is said that the Germans did not
think that Canada would support Great
Britain in the present war, but IT is
hard TO believe that with their care
fully organized bureau of foreign in
telligeuce they could have harbored
such a deluson.
Every one who has klown Canada
must have been struck with the fact
that Canadians are almost more Brit
ish than the British themselves. The
Canadian love for the British Empire
has for years burned like a slow fire.
making little heat and smoke to be
sure, but only awaiting the draft OF war
to cause it to blaze into fuslng flame.
Without surprise | had heard of the
enthusiasm which spread through the
Dominion at the outbreak of the war
If the crowds Of men thronging the
armories. struggling for places in the
first overseas contingent; Of the num-
hers that could not ne taken for lack
Of equipment and OF ships to carry
them; of militia officers who gave up
their commissions and volunteered as
privates in order to reach tho front
more quickly
Having been informed OF these ac-
tvities, I expected when I went TO
Canada short time since to see
land abla2e with all the outward signs
Of war. | expected to find excited
crowds watching bulletins outside news
paper offices; TO see everywhere vehe-
ment posters calling for men I.ondon
they say, is pastered over with them)
IN zee regiments marching through
streets lined with cheering crowds, and
no hear brass bands blaring '"rippe-
rary"
What did md was a country with
b.rt few exterior signs OF a belligerent
condition. A hundred men watch bul.
tetins in New York to one in Canada
The American newspapers are. upon
the whole. printing more war news
than those of Canada, and are Gas
usuaD printing it more wildly. Oh
streperous scareheads do not go with
the Canadian temperament. I saw nc
large recruiting posters; only a few
small cards devoid alike of feryid Ian
guage and pictorial establishment.
did see men in khaki, They were sprin-
killed. in among the passengers on rail-
road trains and among the crowds or
the streets; they were lounging in the
doors and windows of the old Protestant
High School building in Montreal which
has been converted into barracks; nov
and then a company or two would hike
past in the streets on a practice march
minus music, minus cheers.
BY taking considerable journeys t.
points where men are being trained
saw as many as 700 or 800 recruits n
a time being put through a sharp drill
under the eyes OF smart looking officer
in leather leggings, brown greatcoati
and taunty Scotch caps Some OF thes,
recruits were in uniform; others in cit
liens attire. This gave the ranks
& 4.