The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-10-19

up of both condemnation and approval
of the Quebec reluctance 10 serve.
Willing As they have shown them
selves TO help Uncle Sam make "the
world safe for democracy" In general
they do not condemn their Canadian
kln-folk, ana commentary almost In
varlably opens with a condoning: "oh,
well, In Canada, It isn't the same
thing"
Why? Not all of the "French boys
who have gone gladly into the Amer
lean ranks cnn clarity their feeling
into so many words, hut the secret Of
II is certainly this: as American citi-
zens and soldiers of the United States
| they feel part of proud sovereign
nation making" war; Canada, on the
contrary, is only participating in the
war; and the Quebec cousin, If hG
fights, only Fights for England"
In certain French Canadian minds
hostility to anything English in itself
is natural. And this hostility Is pre-
cisely co"ollary to the attachment fol-
France, vanquished by England on
Canadian soil Il century and half
ago, and such as have 1t will not fight
for England ut any price, even with
France involved In the quarrel as 1t Is
today. 1t Is sentiment, "reasOns that
reason does NOT know and an Irish
man understands just what II means.
Add to this fundamental hostility to
Britain which is of the blood, the bit
terness of the bilingual war between
the French and English factions in
Canada, the multiplying grievances of
Jean Baptiste in regard TO the rele-
eating of French to the rank of an
Accomplishment" in the Manitoba and
Ontario schools, the rumbles of that
'guerre de races" he hears of with
every visit Of n relative from the
North, and the New England cousin
of Jean Baptiste is apt enough 10 eX-
claim: "They have reason in Quebec
70 hell with helping the English in the
warw
Besides the merely sentimental,
there are the thoughtful spmpathiz-
ers for Quebec, keener students of the
question. In these same people there
is no dream Of resisting the draft here,
it is even approved Of as the wisest
war measure President Wilson could
take to have imposed it at once with
out asking the people to vote on it.
But with one voice they say that in
Canada 'ce nest pas In meme chose"
and that to impose cOnscriptiOn on Il
little country of 100000 inhabitants
which has already volunteered 100000
soldiers is tyranny. Note here thG
subtle difference in the "sense of cOun-
try" and the "sense of colony" as it
were. French-Americans here feel
that they are fighting 'fOr their coun-
try" and the draft is just. Canadians
in their eyes are colonials who are |
helping" who have first of all the
right to decide whether they will do |
1t or not.
L'EtOile, the Lowell French paper, |.
has taken an emphatic stand against
conscription in Canada; also against |
the recruiting of New England French |
Canadians for Canada's forces. Cana
dian recruiting officers recently on tour .
in New England have been the butt of .
acerb aspersiOns from that quarter. |
Serve the great cause under the Stars .
and Stripes" reiterates the editor .
don't go to Canada to serve by the
side of English francophobes and fan'
atlcs." This attitude has been char
acteristic of the French-American
press Of New England, consisting of
some 10 or II sheets distributed among
the larger textile centers, with but an
exception or two. 1t has patriOtically
rooted" for volunteer service under
the American colOrs on the part of
French-Americans, and in the same
breath defended the Quebec French
who refused to enlist under the British
cOlOrs.
In the bilingual quarrel the French
American press naturally sided with
the French element, contending that
its rights We're trampled upon, and
the present hostility to English efforts
in Canada is a resultant
BY these extremists the big word
is pronounced. would not
Canada be much better off if it were
they ask.
At the other end of the bridge are
found those who bitterly denounce the
Quebec cousins as traitors, rebels cow
ards, etc, and have not enough words
to paint them black. "What" eX-
claimed one fervid citizen, before the
war didn't that Nationalist crew and
other patriots sing La Marseillaise
with tears in their eyes? And dida't
they clamor Restons Francais! on
every roof? Their very salvation, and
that of Canada itself, demanded that
they should carefully keep their skirts
from the communicating English, and
above all remain themselves, remain
French. And now that France is
,lutched by the throat, their refrain
mas suddenly changed to We are Cana
lians, neither Frenchmen nor English
men! This war is none of our affair!
must say that these people pass my
Omprehension.-BostO Transcript.
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