The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1916. CANADA'S FIGHTING SPIRIT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2708, 1 March 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1916. CANADA'S FIGHTING SPIRIT

Canada has for some time past t jeen occupying a position in th<! r lackground as far as the war cable- I jranis arc concerned. This does not c uean that the martial spirit of the t Canadians is abating; nor does it [ nean that there is a lack of importmt happenings in-that p ii't <i ihe Empire. We are not hearing much I ibout events ik Canacu dimply lie- c jause more sensational things arc 1 just now iccMiring on t!io battle- t fronts and in other parts of the t ivorld. Yet we in New Zealand are | i-aturally interested in the thoughts, t uid deeds, and feelings of the pco- i lie who live in the other overseas ( Dominions. All the Dominions have £ ivar problems !o, tolvo, smi.'Jar m i ;heir broad outlines, and yet ha-v- < ing local peculiarities. The Cana- J :lians know more of the realities of ■ ,var than we do. The plottings of < jerman agents in the United States J ire a constant reminder of the near- < ness of danger, and the enemy' has i shown occasional signs '.if activity 1 in Canada itself. When the war ] icgan Canada threw lwrjilf into the j struggle without limitation. She i nade no rcserv-it'ons and did not I it-op to count the cost. And now, < ifter eighteen months of conflict, her I irdotir has not waned, nor has her < confidence in ultimate triumph ever ] .vavered. • An American who recent- ; ly paid a visit toi Canada states : ;hat if the prevalent spirit in England, Australia, New Zealand, ancl South Africa is as courageous and determined as the mood of the over- I ivhclming majority of the seven mil- l lion inhabitants of Canada, victory - in the end for the Allies would seem ;o be assured. The Canadian Prime Minister's New Year announcement ;hat the size of the army was to be increased from 250,000 to 500,000 was , received with enthusiastic approval. A.t the beginning of the present year , iie total number of men upder arms ' ,vas 225,000, of whom 125,000 had jone to the front. The rate of reiruiting has greatly increased, and latest information shows that rejruits were coming forward at the rate of a 'thousand a day; It was ixpected that there would be 250,000 men in uniform by the end of January, and the Minister of Militia is ;onfident that the whole 500,000 will iave been secured by next autumn— that is, by .September or October, riyjre is good reason to believe that the French-Canadian province _ of Quebec, which for some unexplained 1 reason has hitherto shown a tendjncy to hold back, will provide a big portion of the second half million. Archbishop Bruchesi, in explaining the attitude of the Roman Catholic Episcopate, recently declared that it was {he sacred duty af the Canadian people to assist Bn-~ tain in her heroic defence Qf liberty, . This, he said, was the attitude of the Bishops, and tlioy would maintain it to the very end. "I, for one," tie declared, "do not want to be a German." E. P. Bonaparte, ap American member of the famous Oorsican family, has joined a Quebec corps. The development of events in the United States is being watched with the keenest interest in Canada. The threats of German-Americans and the campaign, of outrage and destruction are intensifying the fighting spirit of the people.. The nefarious activities of German agents across the border have brought the war very close to the doors of the Canadian population. Two employees of the Hamburg-American Steam Ship Company were recently arretted in New York, charged with plotting to blow up Canadian troopships in tlio St, Lawrence. It is said that the private secretary of the accused visited Quebec in order to collect information necessary for the successful carrying out of the plot. It is also understood that German agents have beeu scheming to destroy the international railway bridges over the Niagara. River and the Welland Canal, which connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Canadians ar.e not the sort of people to quietly endure this kind of thing. The Minister of Finance (Sir George Foster) states that the finances of Canada are in an excellent condition, and that revenues arc available to meet war expenses for many months to come. A loan of £20,000,000 has already been raised, and, if necessary, this is to be increased to £60,000,000. Up to the present such spccial taxation as has been levied is comparatively light, but the Minister has hinted that a stop may have to be put to the policy of asking Britain to finance Canadian expenditures. If £60,000,000 are needed the Government will probably ask the people of Canada to find the additional money. It will bo nccessary, the , Minister Bta'Ws, to take tho people's savings, "jd if these are not enough, to take

their earnings. At the end of last j'cnr the position on ordinary and capital account was £5,000,000 more favourable than a year ago, and the Department announced that the AVar Budget of February, 1915, will yield not only the £30,000,000 _ expected, but many additional millions. . The trade returns arc decidedly satisfactory. The export trade, rose from £86,000,000 in 1014 to £112,000,000 in 1915, while the imports fell from £104,000,000 to £85,000,000. The total Western grain yield rose from 318,000,000 bushels to 655,000,000 bushels. It is estimated that war orders to tho value of £100,000,000 were placed in Canada during 1915, and it is expected that this business will show a large increase during the present year if the_ financing problem can be satisfactorily solved. There arc no labour i troubles _in Canada. The industrial situation has never been so peaceful during the last fifteen years. It is not surprising that the country is pervaded by feelings of hope and eonfidencc in spite of the, strain imposed by its efforts in a fight unparalleled in the world's history.