The Jasper news., 1917-10-11

9bfSp lHOSS Ill nave re-
" a fused to volunteer for serv-
Ice and have fought con-
scription dangerously and fiercely
They declare that fighting for Canada Is
lighting for England once their con-
queror. Why all the rumpus? We pre-
sent here an analysis of the situation
by Yvonne LeMaltre, French Cana
dian. Her article Is taken from the
Boston Transcript, and says In part:
The one great striking fact about
the behavior Of the French Canadians
on the Yankee side of the line-or
French-Americans, us they want to be
calied--is the contrast with the atti-
tude of their Quebec cousins. Their
response to the call has been splendid.
According to recruiting officers, they
and the Italians are the two racial
groups which have furnished the larg-
est paeportion of volunteers In New
England. And since the coming of the
draft, not only have they been prompt
ly and periodically acquiescent to the
nations demand, but have filed fewer
exemption claims, again according to
official report from the stations, than
any other element in the population
of foreign stock.
Aside from this patriotic American
war spirit, their sympathy and affec-
tionate regard for France is lively !;
there is scant friendship for Britain,
and Interest in Canadian affairs is
keen among the older people and prac-
tically absent among the younger.
Lowell, with its population of some
2S,O0O people of French name and
race, is shining spot for the study of
this triple patriotism"-if one may
dare the term-involving a race twice
transplanted and as often de-national-
lied and re-nationalized.
The natives of France in Lowell are
few, and chiefly represented by priests
In charge of the largest French Cath
Ollie parish in the city and by members
OF n religious brotherhood, the Mar
lists, in charge of the boys parochial
school In the same parish. Several Of
these Marists are at the front, having
ut once responded when the call came
was killed on his first day under fire.
So this calm home of u French Cath
Ole brotherhood in Lowell, surrounded
by delightful garden, with charm
ing view on the Merrlmac, is spot
where the war Is very much of q
reality and every mail from France an
event.
Lowelrs French Canadian stock, like
all others submitted to Uncle Sans
alchemy, varies greatly In degrees of
American assimilation. 1t has the two
extremes, of complete assimilation and
utter 'hyphenation," and all the shades
between. BY the newspapers they
read We shall know them Lowell has
large enough contingent Of the older
French Canadians who subscribe to La
Presse and La Patrie of Montreal and
to lie Devoir, BOurassa's organ, and to
whom Canada is still very near
they are the ones interested In the
conscription quarrel in the Dominion.
1t has much larger number who read
only American papers, young people
born In lies Etats" and who insist that
they are Americans first, last and all
the time-that species of eagle-spread-
ing adopted son which Uncle knows
how and likes to turn out, plus roy
aliste que lie roi," more Catholic than
the pope and more American than the
Father of His Country. 1t has taken
the French Canadian stock longer to
evolve this type, perhaps, than 1t has
taken the Irish stock, probably because
of the difference in languages and n
greater attachment of the French
Canadians to their own schools. But
there is no questioning the fact that
Il has very much arrived, and is bound
to be an ever-energizing factor In the
political advancement and general ma
terial progress of the race In New
England.
The American end of the war comes
home wildly to New England's French
Canadians because of the extraordi-
nary fecundlty of the race, In which
respect they differ so markedly from
their cousins dc France" The pro-
portion of young men of military age
among them is strikingly large be-
cause their families are so prolific.
One Lowell family alone had five con.
scriptS.-not one of whom, by the way.