The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-06-10


 the Conservative leader in the Can adian parliament.
 He succeeded Sir Wilfred Laurier as Premier in 1911 after bitter contest chiefly as a result of his pronounced opposition to the pas sage of a trade reciprocity treaty with the United States, a proposal which had the indorsement of Pres ident Taft and Canadian Liberals.
 Critical Period
 His tenure, which ended July 10, 1920. when he resigned on account of ill-health, included the years of the World War and extended on through the most critical period of iCanadian reconstruction. His bur- 'dens became so great during the war that he found them getting beyond the control of one govern ment. hence he invited a number of prominent Liberals to share them, and the result was the Union Gov ] ernment, with Sir Robert still at the head. It was this government that enforced the Military Service Act, Canada's first experience with conscription.
 I With the termination of hostili- ties Sir Robert attended the Paris Peace Conference as Canadian plen- ipotentiary and member of the British Empire delegation. He was appointed Chief British Empire rep ,resentative on the Inter-Allied Com mission of the Peace Conference on i the Greek question, and represen- tative on a similar commission to determine the Russian question.
 Visits U. s.
 | The United States was given an opportunity to see Sir Robert in action at close range during the fall of 1921, when he spent several weeks in Washington as the Canadian rep resentative to the Armament Con- ference.
 The Premier's attitude during the war was one of undivided loyalty to the British Empire and her Allies. From the outbreak of the great struggle he used every endeavor to get Canada to throw her weight into the scale and, largely as a result of his efforts, 420,O00 soldiers were sent overseas. In 1918, when opposition to conscription was accentuated in Canada, the Premier returned from one of his frequent trips to Eng land with the announcement of his determination to apply the draft to the entire dominion to raise 100,- 900 endorsements. His efforts at forming a Coalition government failing, Sir Robert offered to re- sign but caucus of his supporters in Parliament refused to accept it.
 Death KnelI
 Upon the entrance of the United States into the war Sir Robert said it sounded the death knell of Ger man militarism" and when General Pershing's troops strengthened out in two weeks the salient of St. Mi hiel, which had resisted all Allied efforts for three years, he sent a delicious message of congratulation to the American commander-in- Chief.
 Appointed a colonial representa- tive to the Peace Conference, Sir Robert early declared himself in favor of a League of Nations and in an address in London shortly after the armistice said America and England together could maintain the peace of the world" During the course of the war he made several trips to England and the battle front, to attend conferences rela- tive to munitions, food and cloth ing, and other supplies needed by the Allies in France and he rendered powerful aid in coordinating Am |ericas efforts in helping to meet this need.
 Descendant of American
 Sir Robert was a descendant of Samuel Borden, an American sur veyor who removed to Falmouth, IN S., in 1760. He was educated at Acadia Villa Academy in Horton, N. Is. and later received the honorary degree of LID. from Queens Uni versity and St. Francis Xavier Uni versity, Antigonish. He was knighted in 1914. In September 1889 he mar Tried Miss Laura Bond, of Halifax. Their home is in Ottawa. In Grand Pre-, the village where Sir Robert