New-York tribune., 1917-12-17
Canada's Election

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10 Canada's allies, who are interested, as
she IS. in a fuller employment Of her re-
sources in the war against Germany
Canada entered into the war with enthu-
siasm and energy. Her response was IN
slant and whole-hearted. The test OF 10y
atty TO the British Empire was met IN
manner which surpassed all expectations.
With a population in 1911 of I2O6,ooO
Canada sent 10 the front up to the middle
OF 1917 about 400, 900 men, all volunteers.
To equal this ratio Of enlistment to popu-
lstion the United States would have to put
about 5.6O0.000 men in the field. Our con-
dition of unpreparedness being about the
same as Canada's, we can readily measure
the effort which would have been required
in this country to produce an army OF
5.60O.OOO. relying solely on volunteering
As a matter of fact, we wisely recognized
the hazards and inequalities of voluntary
service and turned at once to conscriptlon
as the only effective means Of developing
our man power.
It would have been fortunate for Canada
if she had not been misled by the enthusi-
asm with which her first calls for volun-
teers we're answered and had resOrted at
once to the draft. But British tradition
was against this everywhere in the
United Kingdom and in Australia, as well
as in Canada. SO the voluntary system
was tried out and military advantage was
subordinated to political prejudices. In a
war like this one-a war Of nations even
more than a war of armies-yOlunteerlng
is a lath painted TO look like a sword. 1t
was pre-doomed TO failure. 1t failed IN
Great Britain. 1t is a failure in Canada.
And though the people of Australia refused
last year TO vote it failure, its failure IN
that commonwealth is a foregone conclu-
sion.
To maintain Canadian strength at the
front 10000 enlistments a month are now
needed. The average Of monthly recruiting
has fallen as low as 1000. The government
at Ottawa has been forced, therefore to
turn TO conscription as a remedy. The oppo-
nents Of conscription demanded that obliga-
tory service should not be imposed until
popular referendum had been taken. The
Conservative government refused to per
nit referendum, but after strengthening
itself by a fusion with the element in the
Opposition party (the Libera) which
favors CONSUMPTION it decided to dissolve
Parliament and TO go 10 the people on the
issue Of continuing the present coalition in
power.
The coalition enjoys all the advantages
of position. II stands on a union-for-the-
war platform. II has divided the 0pposi-
tion by inviting many Liberal leaders into
the Cabinet 1t appeals to the patriotism
of the people. 1t is advocating a military
measure which is now almost universally
recognized as both Just and necessary. In
to-day's election, also, a new legislative
apportionment goes into effect, under which
political power has been shifted materially
from the East 70 the West. The West has
been pacifst in spots. But the Western
people as a whole, are in sympathy with
nationalistic aims and have broader out
look than the people Of the st. Lawrence
Valley. The Province of Quebec is the
citadel Of anti-conscript.on. But Quebec'S
influence on the rest Of Canada is slight.
The coalition also strengthened itself by
extending the franchise in one direction
and restricting it in another. Suffrage has
been given TO every man serving in the
Canadian army, whether he has been a
Canadian voter or not. IL has also been
given TO women who have husbands, faith
ers, brothers, uncles or sons in military
service. On the other hand, the vote has
been taken from citizens born in enemy
countries and naturalized in Canada since
1900. This shuts out large number of
former Austrian and German subjects
The Borden government came into power
in 1911 on an issue which smashed old
party lines. The reciprocity treaty which
Sir Wilfrid Laurier concluded with the Taft
Administration was used to excite jealous
les and animosities which had no subs.an-
tial foundation. The Conservative party
had long been in a minority. The war
soon threw tremendous burdens on its lead
ership and, as was TO be expected, it made
numerous blunders. There has been much
complaint Of profteering on the part of
friends of the government. In a campaign
rot involving the conscription issue the
Borden ministry would have been put dis
tinetly on the defensive.
AS it is, the coalitionists have submitted
10 The voters a clear-cut appeal for union
and patriotic effort. They arc opposed by