Der Sonntagsbote und der Seebote. (Milwaukee, Wis.) 1912-1922, 1917-10-28
CONSCRIP ton IN CANADA
AND IN UNITED STATES.

The formation of a coalition
cabinet in Canada, consisting of
Conservatives and Liberals, who
are pledged 10 compulsory mi-
litary service. is an assurance
that the conscription act recent
ly passed by the Canadian par
lament will be enforced. The
only hope of the opposition ap-
parently is to return a hostile
majority to parliament at the
general election announced for
January. We are somewhat at
a loss in this country to UNDER
stand the antagonism toward
conscription i'll large sections
of Canada. Considering the ties
of blood that link our Canadian
neighbors both to England and
France. we assumed that they
would be more willing than the
United States to submit to COM
pulsory service. Yet the con-
tlary has been true. If Charles
Z. Hughes or Theo. Roosevelt
undertook a campaign against
conscription in this country we
should have situation some
what analogous to that in Ca
NADIA, where Sir Wilfrid Laurier,
the leading figure in the Lib
eral party, is promoting the
agitation against the conscrip-
tion act.
We should not forget, how
ever, that Canada has raised an
army of some 100000 men by
the volunteer system. That
number is said to be equal in
proportion to 100000 from the
United States. And the Cana
dians have given good account
of themselves on the battlefield;
they have done, and are doing,
their share in this war for de-
mocracy.
1t is not apparent that anti
conscription agitation in Ca
NADIA arises from any flaw or
break in the national fiber. The
Canadians as a whole, we be-
lieve, are determined to carry
on" and none more so than
those who have already joined
the colors 1t is largely among
the French Canadians that the
anti-war propaganda has found
the most willing audience, and
the reasons for its ready accept
ance are rooted in the isolation
long maintained by that element
of the Canadian population.
Impartial observers believe
that the Canadian govern.
ment could have enlisted the
support OF the recalcitrant pro-
vinces if the right methods had
been adopted from the outset,
The minister of militia, it APP
pears, allowed partisan consi-
derations to dictate his policy,
with the natural result of furth-
er alternating the French Cana
dian population.
But the big mistake was the
failure to adopt conscription
earlier in the war. It is certain
that it could have been done
with little difficulty in the first
flush of war spirit, and it would
have insured Canada against
much of the internal di5turb-
ance she has experienced. in
Canada, just as in England, the
volunteer SYSTEM has proved
unfair and undemocratic. 1t has
taken men who should have re-
mained at home; it has called
forth an exorbitant quota from
certain communities while leav-
ing others untouched. 1t Eas en-
listed practically all Canada's
best blood and left the slackers
and second rate men at home.
Worst Of all, the Canadian
divisions now find themselves
without means OF recruiting
adequate reserves. Canada must
now resort to Conscription.
An American lawyer who las
lived many years in Toronto
puts the situation in these
words
There are only two alter
natives for Canada, ard no
amount Of oratory or political
maneuvering will alter their
hnality; either Canada must get
more men by conscription or
quit the war-graduaiiy, per-
haps, as one by one her divi-
sions fade away, bur none the
less certainly Quit or conscript,
there is no other choice"
We are fortur ate in already
having adopted conscription for
this war But the alternatives,
quit or conscript," " have a Wild
er significance than in their ap-
plication to this particular con-
flict The volunteer system
must always remain essentially
undemocratic; it is always sub
ject to limitations that make it
frequently unreliable. It is bet
ter to establish conscript;on at
the beginning Of war thar in
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