The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, March 28, 1916. CANADA AND THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1528, 28 March 1916, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, March 28, 1916. CANADA AND THE WAR.

Two or three timely and impressive speeches were delivered in New York recently by the Prime Minister of Canada. There are those who doubt if Sir Robert Borden has any acute genius for practical politics, but few now doubt that he has the balance, steadiness, strength, and vision of a statesman. Probably it will be discovered that in the tremendous time through which the Empire is passing what is sound statesmanship is also sound political strategy. At any rate the Canadian Prime Minister never, is inopportune or irresponsible, and never more profound or prophetic than when he deals with Imperial and international problems. As a -sou of Nova Scotia speaking to the Pilgrims, he emphasised the intimate relations between New England and the Eastern Provinces of Canada, recalled that many thousands of Canadians had fought for the North in the Civil War, and rejoiced that an American Region was being formed in Canada to go oversea with Canadians in the defence of freedom and civilisation, In eloquent sentences he explained the position of Canada, interpreted its spirit emphasised its duties and obligations, and described its achievements, ending:—‘‘Realising to the full the tragedy of this war, we in Canada pray that ‘the roaring loom of time’ may weave the mighty events of the next 12 months into an abiding peace. But there is with us the most intense conviction that the cause for which we fight does truly concern the freedom of the world, and that there can be no enduring peace until it fully prevails. We have faith that this war heralds not the dies irae but the regeneration of our civilisation, founded as it is upon so many centuries of aspiration, endeavour, and sacrifice ; tailli also that humanity’s struggle against the enthronement of toree above right will not he in vain.”