Evening star., 1923-01-26
FRENCH CANADIANS
VOW RUHR BACKING
"Germans Must Pay" Sentl-
| ment of Meetings in Many
A Villages and Camps.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
(Copyrirht, 1873.

Copyright. 1881
MONTREAL. Quebec, January 26.-
French Canada has thrown in her lot
with France on the problem OF the
Ruhr.
Throughout the province of Quebec.
particularly in the rural sections the
French Canadians have vowed sup
port and their unqualified approval
of Frances action In using force in
Germany.
Upheralded meetings have been held
in little villages nesting In the val
leys Of the Laurentian mountains,
impromptu gatherings in the lumber
settlements have voiced their senu-
ments. and throughout the province
the habitant anins and his Fransa famiiS nave u"
In Montreal, the third largest
French city of the world, the fee1ns
is unmistakable. The French lansuage
press echo in their headlines the ieei-
ing Of their readers:
France Is right; Germany must pay
England must not interfere.
This Is not surprising. When the
government at Quebec undertook 10
enforce conscription during tne re-
cent war soldiers had to be constant
ly on guard in Montreal TO put COW II
uprisings and to quell riots: Machine
guns at one time swung their iesa
colored muzZles to and fro IN the
streets of Quebec and several detach-
ments of troops were needed to re-
store order. 1t was French Canada
protest against conscription.
Feeling Equally Evident.
Today, with France having the bit
In her teeth, the feeling Is eQually
evident albeit not so intense. Inc
of the blood of old France: the
hatreds engendered by 1870 Is as
manifest in the Quebec French as II
is overseas. ,.
especially in the mountains, there is
n feeling that a new call to arms may
come at any moment-from France
not England. Already, applications M
OF the French army asking whether
France requires men to help her col
lect from the Germans
The lumberjacks, who discuss tne
matter in their own simple, out sone aren
the canthook for the rlhe and tne
lmoccasins for the hob nails; The tri-
color waves jauntily in the breeze
outside many habitants house and
the song of les diables bleus, lie
Madelon," is heard.
Call of Blood Strong.
Frances position is the dominant
topic of conversation in French cir
cles. Quebec just now is in the throes
of election preparations, and nothing
is dearer to the heart of the Frencn
Canadian than electioneering. But
this time candidates and PROGRAMS "a rs
trouble. and the call Of the blood is
strong.
The bon entente is particularly no
ticeable in Quebec. with Il French
population of 80 per cent. The two
nationalities live as amicably as do
the United States and Canada. there
fore, it is not likely that any serious
disruption will result from the Brit
tsh attitude on the Rphr question. The
fact remains, however. that the
French people here are all for France
and Frances justification.
The rural French go about their
work peacefully enough. The old
"mere" spins away at her wheel or
bends over the rag carpet and the
~bon homme" tends to his cattle or
reads his paper. exhuding . smoke
screen of "le bon tabac canayen."
But the tri-color waves freely over
the whitewashed cabin and the strains
OF "Le Madelon" are broadcasttd
through the community.