New-York tribune., 1917-07-18
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In The Tribune OF June 10 ,heis at
near. letter signed Arthur J. Lalioerte
hearing on the vexed question OF the enlist
ment ~ French Canadians for overseas ser
,ico with the British armv in France and the
rsIa.;ons that exist between French and Eng
Iisb Canadians here in Canada. The letter IS
vr;t.en with a warmth that shows that the
uri.er has the interests Of his fellow coun.
.-vnnen closely at heart. On this ground (ll
on no other) il deserves sympathetic consld-
Grafton.
Mr. Laliberte feels that his people are
rrder a cloud: that stigma has been cast
unon their fair name wrongfully; that they
have been uniustly slandered and held up 10
ridiculs and contempt. For this he is en-
titled to respect and a patient hearing, ana
before I proceed TO express any opinion on
what he has written perhaps l may De al
lowed TO explain that ! am OF British plrth'
and in consequence find myself IN position
to claim immunity from bias in attempting 70
deal with questions so peculiarly CANADIAN
"a those he raised. | can assure Mr LaI-
berte that am not influenced against him on
the score of religion, that l am not aHectea
by the political aspect OF the business ana
that have no particular interest in the Eng
lish Canadian as distinct from the French
Canadian.
Your correspondent Is very bitter at the
us. TO which the word habitant is put ana
tho manner in which it is levelled as term
Of reproach a. many good and intelligent
French Canadians simply because they hap
pen TO live in the country. He should not
however, allow this to vex him. Those who
use the word in a contemptuous fashion SIM
ply display their own ignorance. These hapi-
tans are among the finest people in the world;
one need never be ashamed of them.
The names that Mr. Laliberte quotes in
speaking of what his people have accom-
plished in the development of this country
command the respect and admiration OF all
students of Canadian history. Only stupid
people can pretend that these were not great
men, and one does not have to go among the
famous French Canadians to find admirable
specimens of the race.
A Question of Figures
But alas that in the heat Of argument Mr..
Laliberte should speak Of figures and at
tempt TO show that the French Canadian has
enlisted for overseas service in the same pro-
portion as the English speaking Canadian!
Indeed, he goes so far as to state: More
French Canadians have enlisted voluntarily
than EnQllSh-bOrn canadians. am eoliy
20 say that this Is far from being the case. l
DO not for a moment imagine that your corre-
spondent has wlfully attempted to mislead
the American public-I would rather assume
that he has been msinformed-but on June
IA. here in Ottawa, the Minister of Militia
laid the following figures on the table Of the
House of Commons:
Total number Of French Canadians in
the overseas forces up to April 80
last ...........'..''.' ''''.'''' l''io'
Native born English-speaking Cana
dians Observation-Disclosures ''''''''' 'i|o'Sfo
British born soldiers ..............''loo 'loo,o'o
These figures are to April 30 in each case
and cover the whole Of Canada. Must we not
sadly confess that the number of French
Canadians at the front is painfully small!
There must be a reason somewhere for this
apathy on the part of the people of French
descent in Canada to the needs Of the war
and the necessity Of the Allies-for 1t is
apathy that keeps them back and not hostil-
ity, as many would have us suppose why Is
the French Canadian indifferent alike to the
cry of stricken France and the urgent appeal
of Britain. his protector? The reason, as
far as am able to judge, lies in his lack of
vision. He does not understand-is unable
to comprehend the full significance Of the
business. His horizon has been too clrcum-