Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-05
BY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

~ ANADA has its CONSUMPTION prob
III lem. The problem itself will be
II solved by conscripting more
~ soldiers to follow those who
have gone to Europe But there are
other questions growing out of the
situation that are not SO easily solved.
The chief one Is the racial and religious
Issue between the two great provinces
of Quebec and Ontario. The other prov
inces are involved. but 1t Is universally
recognized that 1t Is the antagonism Of
the principal French-speaking province
and the principal English-speaking
province that is at the bottom of the
trouble.
Canada started out to supply her
quota of troops for the war by volun-
teers For a while the experiment was
n splendid success. More than 100000
recruits were obtained In this manner.
During the debate in Congress members
opposed to the selective draft pointed
70 Canada's volunteers evidence OF
the superiority of that system to con-
scription-
England now needs more troops from
overseas. The volunteers are about
exhausted Inc government VI Oh
Richard Borden. therefore. decided on
conscription. This was sure means
of reaching siackers. but there was
very large element In the Dominion
population which, while not volunteer
ing, was not considered as made up OF
slackers. This was the French element.
and particularly that element in the
province of Quebec. The charge was
made that the French Canadians were
not contributing their full quota OF re-
cruits. and the figures of Quebec prov
ince were cited to prove this contention.
made for French Canadians in the other
provinces who were enlisting.
when the Borden government pro-
posed CONSUMPTION 1t was declared that
the measure was aimed directly at
Quebec, although 1t would seem that 1t
was meant to apply to the whole Do
ninion. as 1t actually does. since SOL
diers must be drawn even from those
provinces which have contributed most
Largely to the volunteers.
The French element in Quebec. which
comprises the bulk of the population of
the province. showed violent opposition.
Meetings of protest were held, and
there were even threats Of Quebec
seeding from the Dominion. These
threats were voiced by the violent
leaders and by some of the newspa-
pers. In Montreal there were serious
riots.
All this took place before the Domin-
ion house of commons actually passed
the conscription law. serious divi-
y1ously, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the leader
of the opposition, had supported the
government in nearly all the war
measures. He had made personal ap-
peals to his French followers in Quebec
to volunteer. and had stemmed what at
one time seemed to be formidable OPP
position On the CONSUMPTION question
he refused to support the Borden gov
ernment. and the newspaper dispatches
from Ottawa stated that he had warned
the government of a grave situation II
conscription were put into force with
ont the subject having been first sub
mttted to the electors. There was an
implication that some sort of an un-
Outstanding of this kind had existed.
When the vote was taken in the
house of commons CONSUMPTION was
carried by a comfortable majority and
the party lines. which previously had
existed. although under a practical
truce as to war measures. were wiped
out. score or more OF liberals, chiefly
from the northwest, refused to follow
their leader They voted for conscrip-
ton. but a number of French-speaking
members who were elected as Borden
ties. refused to follow the government
and voted against CONSUMPTION. The
consequence was that Quebec as rep
resented in the Dominion house of
commons presented virtually a solid
front against CONSUMPTION. Since then
the feeling in Quebec has grown and
the Dominion government has been
confronted with some very grave prob
lens.
In Ontario, which is almost as solid
for the government as Quebec has been
against II, there has been a demand,
especially on the part of the Orange
men. that the Quebec "sedition" be put
down by force of arms, and that this
alien element. as they call 1t, In the
heart of the commonwealth. be Angli-
cized.
That is a task too big for even the
imperial government. But 1t brings to
the forefront one of the chief issues in
canada. which is a counterpart of some
Of the racial nuaafiona Aha& rAx tia