Evening star., 1942-09-21
Canada Has Hear, but Needs
Understanding, Bishop Says
Issues Between French and English
Portions Of Population AnoIyzed

Bishop Francis C. Kelley, Ro-
man Catholic bishop OF Oklu-
homn City and Tulsa, has Just
made Distt to Quebec Province.
FOLLOWING Is his second OF t,Uo
articles
BY BISHOP FRANCIS C. KELLEY,
QUEBEC tN.AN,A)-A hard and
fast French Canadian national
list said to me: The Boer War
called us and we went. We sus-
pected 1t to be an unjust war against
free people and purely for English
aggrandizement. That was what
1t turned out to be and most Eng
hshmen now know it, We went to
war again against the Kaiser, but
much more cheerfully because it
was for the Empire.
NOW we are asked again but,
mark this we'll, though the cause
Is just and we know it, 1t means that
chain Is being fastened on Canada
for as long as she remains in the
empire. Must we 60 into every war.
great or small. that Great Britain
wages? If so-adieu to our dream
of nationhood.
I'VE voted against conscription to
show that we hold Canada to be a
free country. We had no other
means Of expressing our mind on
the subject; no other way to guard
our liberties in the Canadian ma
10
Canadian fellow citizens will see
that and perhaps be grateful"
A minority of English Canadians
understands. In all loyalty to the
Dominion they agreed with Prof.
Scott of McGill University when
he wrote: THE French Canadians
mean what they say when they saw
they will do everything necessary
for the defense Of Canada. They
have already accepted conscription
of manpower for this purpose, and
they do not mind whether this
means going to Alaska, Greenland
or Panama.
French Die for Empire.
TT Is a good deal farther from
Quebec city to Alaska than from
Quebec city to London. Why the
difference in attitude toward COM
pulsory service in the two places?
Solely because service across the
Atlantic represents the imperialist
tie, and looks like defense of the
British Empire rather than defense
of Canada or Canadian interests.
-. All that Quebec means by the
no vote is that she does not wish
her children to die for any country
other than their own. This is
nothing very startling" Yet msnv
French have already died for the
Empire in this war.
There can be no doubt but that
the ideals of the fathers of con-
federation agree with DR.. scotts
He quotes freely from about all the
leaders: Macdonald, Tupper and
Haviland, as we'll as Larrevin and
Cartier. Even Lord Monck wrote to
Macdonald: ITO you and your COL
leagues is really due the honor of
having founded a great nation"
Cartier said to the English: I'VE
were OF different races, not for the
purpose Of warning against each
other but in order to compete and
emulate for the general welfare"
There were those in the Charlotte
town and Quebec conferences who
spoke of the kingdom of Canada.
and wanted the English King to be
Canadas king. 1t was consideration
for the close neighborhood of the
American republic that, in part at
least, made them accept a lesser
title.
But let us not think that the Ca
nadians were merely initiating us.
They never, English or French.
thought of cutting the bond with
Great Britain. One reason for con-
federation was to save the north
west to Canada. We Americans were
driving through our first transconti-
mental railways then. Canada had
to watch us. This she could not do
effectively under colonial status.
Had to Unite to Build.
Canada had to unite to build.
But she was thus not only saving
her present but insuring her future
and guarding her western territorial
trade interests. She could not de-
pend for market on free-trade
Great Britain. The corn laws had
killed that market, for the haul was
too long for successful competition
with nearer producers. Some Eng
Ish-Canadians even suggested an
nexation to the United States and
signed a petition for it. But only a
handful of French four could be
gotten to join with them. In the
War of 1872 the French defended
Canada against us. They would ac-
cept neither annexation nor colony
status. Brittania might go on rul-
Ing the waves as long as she could,
50 far as French Canada was con-
cerned but she must not try too
hard to rule the Laurentides and the
Rockies.
why pick us out as disloyal be-
cause We stand on the principle
that consumption would kill our ma
tion?" asked my hard-and-fast ma
tionalist. why not pick on South
Africa, Australia, or Northern Ire
land2 They have no conscription
for foreign service in any of them"
When he said Northern Ireland"
he smiled-significantly. I remem-
bered that he had presented me
with booklet proving that William
of Orange spoke bad English but
spoke and wrote excellent French
and that he actually had subsidized
the Catholic missionary and dis
coverer, Father Hennepin.
It's hard to find funny stories in
French-Canada, but of humor-ah! !!
That is different and always in
great store. He quoted Lord
Tweedsmuir, late governor general
of Canada, who said in 1887: Can