The sun., 1917-07-01
SIR ROBERT BORDEN =
PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA

chances and ultimatums. as Lord
Derby managed IL in England. and IL
Laurisr and other French opponents
OF conscrlption. with prestige will con-
sent to so through the province and
urge their racial kinsfoik to comply
with the law. everything may pass on
quite. smoothly. il. q. 81. <. - =.
II not. weil--some riotlng in the
cities, perhaps. Like the draft riots IN
New York city during the civil war
non? ,s
The issue of conscription is .realigsi-
ing the legislators OF Canada as to
party. and with them their constit-
uents The Copservatives, In power.
are OF course behind the bill, but some
of the French speaking Conservatives
favor tho referendum OF ccnscription
proposed by Laurier The Liberal
straining apart for some years, and
Laurier at the close Of his career now
sits In the House and watches the final
stages OF its breakup.
English speaking liberals. with one
or two exceptions whose sincerity
seems rather dubious, arc for con-
scription. During the last ten days
they have been SO declaring them
selves ip debate. and several of them
have castigated their venerable leader
in blunt terms.
Many OF the French speaking Liber-
ais are against the bill but for the ref
erendum. The men of the young third
party, the Nationalists, who are radi-
cal and violently provincial French
from Quebec, are for neither. and win
have none OF the idea OF an obligation
to military service, voluntary or en-
listed. to the British Empire overseas.
ora Party Lines Disappear.
In short, old party lines in Parlis-
ment, for the moment at least, do not
exist, as they do not throughout the
Dominion. A win the war faction
composed of English speaking Canada.
with the possible exception of parts OF
the labor element. is against an anti
conscription faction composed of
French Canada, and particularly OF
Quebec. Whon the bill is a law the
rest OF Canada expects to make the
French Canadians obey it-by force II
milder means are unavailing.
The Ottawa Journal Press, an inde-
pendent Conservative newspaper. reS>
torted to Gauthiers prediction OF civil
war with the statement that worse
things than civil war might befall
Canada, and the sentiment was echoed
in the western provinces
In the opinion Of the more moderate
Conservatives. Sir Wllfrid Laurier's
opposition to conscription is on n
higher plane than partlsanship. and
his move for referendum in which he
knows the bill would be supported by
the people is an effort to let French
speaking Canada down easy. He could
more readily persuade them to abide
by the expressed will OF the people
than by that OF an extended 'Parlia-
ment divided on racial lines.
The taunts OF yellowness hurled at
the French Canadians are conceived
In great bitterness by the English
speaking volunteers themselves. who
naturally resent the failure OF a fourth
OF the population to support their ef-
forts and sacrifices, and those OF their
relatives and nelghbors. But they do
not seem to be justified by facts.
The French canadiams are not q
yellow" people. They have not de-
Perforated In virility and stamina, as
did many French Creole flmilies In
Louisiana during the first half OF the
last century They are hardy, vlgor-
Gus and courageous; their one bat
TALON at the front, the Twenty-second,
has covered itself with glory. It took
a leading part in the capture OF Cour-
celette on the Somme front in 1915.
or four Victoria Crosses that have
been awarded to Canadians one re-
ciplent was French, and the command
ers are frank in saying that the men
Of the Twenty-ssecond have no su-
periors among the hard fghting Cana
dan troops.