New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-16
Canada "Home Rule" Problem
By Harry c. Douglas

were they attacked oy the Ohi'eu
or Japan, or il civil war broke out As
far as England was concerned, they con
sidered themselves bound by all duties re-
sultng to them from the British ecns'i'u-
ton and from the relations existing between
the Imperial and Ottawa governments-ou'
nothing more.
NJ Bourassa amplified this at meeting
IN Montreal at the end Of June, at which
he stated that Canada had entered the war
"a a slave. "the servile satellite OF Eng
land" He concluded with the remark: Inc
Dominions have lost more OF liberty SINCE
this war began than they gained IN the
century preceding
Laurier's Defence
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, leader Of the Domrn,
ion Liberal party, for years Premier anu
himself a French Canadian, has admitted IN
the Ottawa House that his people nave hot
responded to the call to arms as wen as .ney
should have done. For this he oiameu III
mart the governments choice OF recruiting
sneakers whose sympathes and understand
ing were, he asserted, not such as 10 reco"
mend them or their plea to the people OF
Quebec. He pointed out that enlistment
seemed to proceed negatively according to
the time a man had been in the Dominion
thus. the British born had contributed rela-
t:valv most fighting men, the Canadians next
and the French Canadians least OF all. lie
reminded his hearers that his people haa
had no relations with France since lloo'
while there was probably not an Engilsh-
speaking family in the country without
friends or kin in Britain. Also the french-
Canadians. disarmed after British occupa-
ton OF the country, had from that time
Gown TO the present completely abandoned
all semblance Of military organzatlon-eN-
cent on paper. Sir Wilfrid also referred 10
tho increased bitterness engendered through
the playing of party politics.
The situation is one fraught with serious
potentialities. There have been demonstia-
tons in Quebec already that have gwen rise
&c grave apprehensions as to what may nap
pen when the government endeayors 10 put
conscription into force east OF the ottawa
River. Throughout Canada have been aDie
to find no disposition to pander to the french
Canadians. In fact, the tendency is all the
other way-the people are frankly in high
glee that at last they have the legal power
10 coerce a recalcitrant minority.
They base their impotence at the french
Canadians upon the liberties that people en-
joy and have always enjoyed. They point TO
the fact that they have been allowed full
religious and political liberty, to the fact
that they have had their own separate schools,
where French was the language Of instruc-
ton. to the fact that all government papers
and orders have to be prepared IN French
as well as English, to the fact that French
members of Parliament can deliver their
speeches in French-to these and to many
other facts and then they say, in accents
of puzzled Indignation:
French Canadian Liberty
What more could they ask? And yet, no"
the time has come for them to share the
burden with us, they aren't there. We
haven't even got their sympathy"
Any one who has been long in Montreal
can appreciate to some extent the feelings OF
English speaking Canadians. Unless you
happen to know that, "Ne passez pas sur lie
gazon" means Don't walk on the grass" thai
defense de fumer" may be freely translated
mo smoking allowed" and 80 on, you are
likely to find yourself seized by the back OF
the collar by a FrenchCanadian policeman
who does not know enough English to argue
with you. had to speak French to four car
conductors out of six to get directions. And
all this is in Montreal, where there are thou
sands Of English-speaking people. In Quebec
itself. and still more in the smaller and re-
I.
vainly for one who is willing TO confess to
q knowledge of English.
One trait of the people Of their land Of
origin the French Of Canada have preserved,
that is their passionate devotion to the soil
of their birthplace. For that reason they are
seldom met with in ordinary Canadian life
west of the Ottawa River-except in certain
places in the adjoining province Of Ontario,
where they have been for scores Of years.
This aoofness has contributed much to the
present regrettable cleavage between the
races The war, instead of cementing rela'
tons between the two peoples, has merely
served to rend them further apart.
Canada is watching, tensely, silently, but
none the less determinedly, to see what her
French speaking citizens will do when it is
to enforce conscripton. There is
no disposition to grant any more concessions.
Their conception of the Dominion of the
future is what Lincoln's conception of the
United States Of the future was-one people, /
united, strong. They have just celebrated the
fiftieth anniversary Of Canadian Confedera-
ton July y. They are firmly resolved al
present to hold to the ideals of the Confed- +.
Grafton Fathers.