CANADA'S RACE PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 219, 4 June 1918, Page 8

CANADA'S RACE PROBLEM

HUMANITY'S MELTING-POT

DARK CLOUD CF THE .FUTURE

(By A. W. Packard.)

What sort of a man is the Canadian? It is courting disaster in the shape of endless refutation to attempt to answer this question with one sweeping generalisation. If ono considers the whole of Canada it will be found that there u no distinct type of tho genua "Canadian." Her immense plains shelter so many different races that it is too early a stage iu her development for any definite spi'.'-ics to have been evolved. Diverse iu character, customs, and nationality, the whole of her peoples liken the big Dominion to humanity's melting-pot. Tho racial question raises tremendous issues which are fraught with grave problems.

Take, for instance, the western province of Saskatchewan. There are forty different nationalities within hor borders, practically nil of whom havo como to stay, for they are on the land. Pride of race is one of the dominant characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon, and it is not to bo wondered at that out West ho hns got into tho tixed hahit of referring to all liiiturnl-borh English-speaking persons as "the whites" and tho rest as foreigners. He Roes further, and draws a. somewhat finer distinction, and so anything that smacks of Russia and tho other Slav States is contemptuously dubbed "Bohunte," Italians are labelled "Dagoes," Hindus rejoice in the appendage "Specs," and all else of Kigcrmn hue are ealled "Shines" or "Crows." Germans are universally known as "Dutch." The West presents & very interesting study in things human. Tho line-up includes Russians of. numerous blench-, -Bulgarians, Finns, Greeks, Icelanders, Norwegians, Swedes, Turks, I'oles, Persians, Serbians, Chinese, Japanese, Syrians. Egyptians, Germans, fcwiss, French, Belgians, Italians, and Austrians, aSd there r.re others the denomination of some of whom would puzzle the most travelled. The presence of many thousands cf French-Canadians and the aboriginal Indiuns tends to further complicate matters. All of these arc citizens of the Dominion—what is the Canadian liko? French-Canadians, Germans, Russians, Scandinavians, and Austrians bulk largest in this variegated tally of humanity. After en observation extending over four years, tho writer is inclined to the opinion that the Norwegians represent the finest and best all-round type of foreign immigrants that Canada has attracted in such large numbers iti recent years. That range of mountains which cuts off the hardy little kingdom of Norway from the rest of Europe counts, it would seem, for much. Judging from the magnificent build and general physical bsauty of both the men and women, 6till must there be left in Norway much (■! that grand old Viking slock, directly descended. Quito apart from these attributes the Norwegians have readily adapted themselves to (heir new-found homes. They rapidly become- Anglicised, and morally they are second to none. Russia's Children. Ono appreciates this r.U the moro after rubbing rhoulders with some of Russia.'s children. 'The land of many revolutions is well rid. of Eumc of tho tribes she has =ent overseas. Big framed, but ungainly, ignorant and superstitious, they may well be likened to over-grown cliilr.l-en, possessing none of tho childish virtues, and all of the vices of their elders. Take the Mcnnonilcs and the Dukubors as samples. Their religions scruples forbid them to fight in defence of their country, yet they will right amongst themselves in their drunken brawls ad infinitum, for as a race they arc much addicted to liquor. Tho consequence is that, oven though conscription is in force in Canada none of these people havo been forced into khaki. To-dav they are living on the flit of the 'nnd-for their numbers nre legion-ivhilo Ihc Anglo-Saxon, the Gaul, and the Scandinavian races are sacrificing their lives at the front. In fact, it has been one of the set-backs to enlistment in the Dominion that the Government ear-lv in the war announced that tho Mennonites and Dukubors would not bo called upon to bear arms, and since then it has persisted in this attitude. The Russians all herd together in tribes, and many of them live in villages on strictly communal lilies. They have their own schools and churches, and retain their own language and many of their peculiar customs aud deep-rooted prejudices. They live in a series of 'little Russias —all to themselves and all for themselves. What are termed the "low Dutch," or -pennant Germans, are not much belter in this respect. Turks, and Other Things. In many towns of fair size in Saskatchewan nothing but German is spoken. An English-speaking person feels like he is in a Germany colony when ho is among them. Tho French-Canadians are also very parochial. In this respect they aro if anything worse than the Germans. They "simply will not talk English. They also run their own schools, churches, and the like, and herd together for tho great part in their own villages anil towns. They carry their claunishness and hatred for anything English to a marked degree, as is seen in their miserable shoeing in the matter of recruiting. The Turk has '.ho reputation of being the biggest rascal on the prairie. There are ono or two other choice tribes from the same select corner of the globe who aro also entitled to this invidious distinction. They are of loose morals, treacherous, dirtj', crafty, shiftless, and thieving. In fact, they have the genuine Eastern flavour. They seem to have inherent criminal tendencies", and nre bad citizens and but indifferent farmers. Incidentally they havo a great penchant for knifing ono another. New Zealand, Beware! For Canada the racial question is a big problem, around which lio many pitfalls. I Sooner or later it will have to be faced. Any drastic move would only lead to turmoil, however. Up to tho present tho powers that be havo let tho matter drift along in a vain endeavour to stavo off tho inevitable. Some day the issue may bo forced, ami if ever it does como to a "show-down" it will be the irreconcilable French-Canadians who will take the initiative. "It is a wretched business," lamented a prominent Westerner to the writer a short time ago. "You in NewZealand cannot appreciate the enormity of the problem, but you can thank God, or rather the foresight of your pioneer statesmen, that New Zealand is a white man's country. And keep it white!" Ono of tho drawbacks in Canada is that tho Governments of the past have greatly hindered the process of natural assimilation of the foreign element by their foolish and misguided policy of fostering communal settlements. In its fervid anxiety to divert the tide of immigration from tho United States to its own shores tho Canadian Government held out all sorts of concessions to the Slav races. Some of these the authorities now bitterly regret, notably the immunity from military service and tho bi-lingual schools" Before they attack the problem in earnest: Ihey will have to undo much of what they have done. .Meanwhile each race eyes tho other askance. The AngloSaxon is, if the truth were really known, the least conservative and most rea<i"nablo of the population. If he had not heen so easy-going in the first place he would not have stored up siirh a heap of i trouble for himself iu the future.