The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-04
The Language Issue In Canada.

A case OF peculiar interest to Can
ada. In that 1t involves the issue Of
b%i.lingunlism, Is to be heard In a few
days by the superior legal tribunal Of
the empire, the Imperial Privy Coun-
ell. The question arises out of the
claims of some supporters Of separate
schools Of Ottawa that the children
of French speaking parents have the
right to he taught In their own Ian
guage in the region that formerly
constituted New France and that GER
tain regulations Of the province OF
Ontario improperly limit or prescribe
this right.
The subject of study and of Ian
guage instruction Of the Dominion is
entrusted to the provincial legisla.
lures and departments of education
and Is secured to them by the founda-
ton statute Of the confederation. the
British North American act. Backed
by this the Ontario Government In
sists that the teaching Of French is
not Il right but n convenience. and
that as nm official language French,
81 far as the province of Ontario Is
concerned. has no legal standing. II
will he seen from this that the cast
Ger the language question of the
whole Dominion.
Bi.llngualism has been one OF the
vital issues In Canada for years. Con-
ditions made 1t so. French or Eng
fish may he used In pleading in court
or in Parliament. and both languages
shall he used In records and journals
If the House and the Legislature OF
Quebec. But Quebec has gained still
further concessions; all forms and
records of the Government. money
orders. postcards, custom entries and
similar documents. nro now In the
two languages. II is also insisting
that Federal officials whose duties
are with French speaking people shall
hp bi.lingual. The issue recently
| arose in the House of Commons in n
heated debate between Sir WTLrRrD
LAuRrER and Sir RoBERr BORDEN. but
no more definite settlement was
reached than from the discussions
that had preceded it.
Where Canada has been especially
affected by the bi-lingual issue is in
| It's hearing upon the enlistment Of re-
cruits. The patriotism of the country
has been shown by the enrolment Of
! more than 32O.OOO men for the war in
| Europe. But the disturbing fact has
been recently disclosed that French
Canada. with perhaps II quarter of the
entire popu,ation Of the Dominion.
has furnished only 14,oON o Most
of these were enlisted before the
| school question in Ontario became
acute. One of the Nationalist lead
ers, BoURAssA. has been making po-
liiical capital of the issue. and. COM
ing N openly against enlistments,
has succeeded. despite Sir Wu.rRlD
LAURlER's pleading. in almost entirely
defeating recruiting among the French
speaking Of the provinces.
The b~i-lingual question is fraught
with serious possibilities II lmplants
racial hatred and n~ntngonism, and
has elsewhere led 10 internal strife
| and national disnnion. Canada has
in the past settled to its satisfaction
many difficult complications, and there
is no reason why 1t should not settle
this p%crpleXing problem. To this pur-
pose 1t would seem That the action
of II body Of It's representative men,
animated by patriotism and Il sin
| core desire To preserve the unity of
the nation, would he more effective
than the mere letter Of the law.