the canadian dominion-第33章

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dered　to　be　at　stake。　Yet　war　had　not　been　formally　declared　before　a　demand　arose　among　Canadians　that　their　country　should　take　a　hand　in　rescuing　the　victims　of　Boer　tyranny。　The　Venezuela　incident　and　the　recent　Jubilee　ceremonies　had　fanned　imperialist　sentiment。　The　growing　prosperity　was　increasing　national　pride　and　making　many　eager　to　abandon　the　attitude　of　colonial　dependence　in　foreign　affairs。　The　desire　to　emulate　the　United　States；　which　had　just　won　more　or　less　glory　in　its　little　war　with　Spain；　had　its　influence　in　some　quarters。　Belief　in　the　justice　of　the　British　cause　was　practically　universal；　thanks　to　the　skillful　manipulation　of　the　press　by　the　war　party　in　South　Africa。　Leading　newspapers　encouraged　the　campaign　for　participation。　Parliament　was　not　in　session；　and　the　Government　hesitated　to　intervene；　but　the　swelling　tide　of　public　opinion　soon　warranted　immediate　action。　Three　days　after　the　declaration　of　war　an　order　in　council　was　passed　providing　for　a　contingent　of　one　thousand　men。　Other　infantry　battalions；　Mounted　Rifles；　and　batteries　of　artillery　were　dispatched　later。　Lord　Strathcona；　formerly　Donald　Smith　of　the　Canadian　Pacific　syndicate；　by　a　deed　recalling　feudal　days；　provided　the　funds　to　send　overseas　the　Strathcona　Horse；　roughriders　from　the　Canadian　West。　In　the　last　years　of　the　war　the　South　African　Constabulary　drew　many　recruits　from　Canada。　All　told；　over　seven　thousand　Canadians　crossed　half　the　world　to　share　in　the　struggle　on　the　South　African　veldt。

The　Canadian　forces　held　their　own　with　any　in　the　campaign。　The　first　contingent　fought　under　Lord　Roberts　in　the　campaign　for　the　relief　of　Kimberley；　and　it　was　two　charges　by　Canadian　troops；　charges　that　cost　heavily　in　killed　and　wounded；　that　forced　the　surrender　of　General　Cronje；　brought　to　bay　at　Paardeberg。　One　Canadian　battery　shared　in　the　honor　of　raising　the　siege　of　Mafeking；　where　Baden…Powell　was　besieged；　and　both　contingents　marched　with　Lord　Roberts　from　Bloemfontein　to　Pretoria　and　fought　hard　and　well　at　Doornkop　and　in　many　a　skirmish。　Perhaps　the　politic　generosity　of　the　British　leaders　and　the　patriotic　bias　of　correspondents　exaggerated　the　importance　of　the　share　of　the　Canadian　troops　in　the　whole　campaign；　but　their　courage；　initiative；　and　endurance　were　tested　and　proved　beyond　all　question。　Paardeberg　sent　a　thrill　of　pride　and　of　sorrow　through　Canada。

The　only　province　which　stood　aloof　from　wholehearted　participation　in　the　war　was　Quebec。　Many　French　Canadians　had　been　growing　nervous　over　the　persistent　campaign　of　the　imperialists。　They　exhibited　a　certain　unwillingness　to　take　on　responsibilities；　perhaps　a　survival　of　the　dependence　which　colonialism　had　bred；　a　dawning　aspiration　toward　an　independent　place　in　the　world's　work；　and　a　disposition　to　draw　tighter　racial　and　religious　lines　in　order　to　offset　the　emphasis　which　imperialists　placed　on　Anglo…Saxon　ties。　Now　their　sympathies　went　out　to　a　people；　like　themselves　an　alien　minority　brought　under　British　rule；　and　in　this　attitude　they　were　strengthened　by　the　almost　unanimous　verdict　of　the　neutral　world　against　British　policy。　Laurier　tried　to　steer　a　middle　course；　but　the　attacks　of　ultra…imperialists　in　Ontario　and　of　ultra…nationalists　in　Quebec；　led　henceforward　by　a　brilliant　and　eloquent　grandson　of　Papineau；　Henri　Bourassa；　hampered　him　at　every　turn。　The　South　African　War　gave　a　new　unity　to　English…speaking　Canada；　but　it　widened　the　gap　between　the　French　and　English　sections。

The　part　which　Australia　and　New　Zealand；　like　Canada；　had　taken　in　the　war　gave　new　urgency　to　the　question　of　imperial　relations。　English　imperialists　were　convinced　that　the　time　was　ripe　for　a　great　advance　toward　centralization；　and　they　were　eager　to　crystallize　in　permanent　institutions　the　imperial　sentiment　called　forth　by　the　war。　When；　therefore；　the　fourth　Colonial　Conference　was　summoned　to　meet　in　London　in　1902　on　the　occasion　of　the　coronation　of　Edward　VII；　Chamberlain　urged　with　all　his　force　and　keenness　a　wide　programme　of　centralized　action。　〃Very　great　expectations；〃　he　declared　in　his　opening　address；　〃have　been　formed　as　to　the　results　which　may　accrue　from　our　meeting。〃　The　expectations；　however；　were　doomed　to　disappointment。　He　and　those　who　shared　his　hopes　had　failed　to　recognize　that　the　war　had　called　forth　a　new　national　consciousness　in　the　Dominions；　as　the　self…governing　colonies　now　came　to　be　termed；　even　more　than　it　had　developed　imperial　sentiment。　In　the　smaller　colonies；　New　Zealand；　Natal；　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　the　old　attitude　of　colonial　dependence　survived　in　larger　measure；　but　in　Canada　and　in　Australia；　now　federated　into　commonwealths；　national　feeling　was　uppermost。

Chamberlain　brought　forward　once　more　his　proposal　for　an　imperial　council；　to　be　advisory　at　first　and　later　to　attain　power　to　tax　and　legislate　for　the　whole　Empire；　but　he　found　no　support。　Instead；　the　Conference　itself　was　made　a　more　permanent　instrument　of　imperial　cooperation　by　a　provision　that　it　should　meet　at　least　every　four　years。　The　essential　difference　was　that　the　Conference　was　merely　a　meeting　of　independent　Governments　on　an　equal　footing；　each　claiming　to　be　as　much　〃His　Majesty's　Government〃　as　any　other；　whereas　the　council　which　Chamberlain　urged　in　vain　would　have　been　a　new　Government；　supreme　over　all　the　Empire　and　dominated　by　the　British　representatives。　Chamberlain　then　suggested　more　centralized　means　of　defense；　grants　to　the　British　navy；　and　the　putting　of　a　definite　proportion　of　colonial　militia　at　the　disposal　of　the　British　War　Office　for　overseas　service。　The　Cape　and　Natal　promised　naval　grants；　Australia　and　New　Zealand　increased　their　contributions　for　the　maintenance　of　a　squadron　in　Pacific　waters；　but　Canada　held　back。　The　smaller　colonies　were　sympathetic　to　the　militia　proposal；　but　Canada　and　Australia　rejected　it　on　the　grounds　that　it　was　〃objectionable　in　principle；　as　derogating　from　the　powers　of　self…government　enjoyed　by　them；　and　would　be　calculated　to　impede　the　general　improvement　in　training　and　organization　of　their　defense　forces。〃　Chamberlain's　additional　proposal　of　free　trade　within　the　Empire　and　of　a　common　tariff　against　all　foreign　countries　found　little　support。　That　each　part　of　the　Empire　should　control　its　own　tariff　and　that　it　should　make　what　concessions　it　wished　on　British　imports；　either　as　a　part　of　a　reciprocal　bargain　or　as　a　free　gift；　remained　a　fixed　idea　in　the　minds　of　the　leaders　of　the　Dominions。　Throughout　the　sessions　it　was　Laurier　rather　than　Chamberlain　who　dominated　the　Conference。

Balked　in　his　desire　to　effect　political　or　military　centralization；　Chamberlain　turned　anew　to　the　possibilities　of　trade　alliance。　His　tariff　reform　campaign　of　1903；　which　was　a　sequel　to　the　Colonial　Conference　of　1902；　proposed　that　Great　Britain　set　up　a　tariff；　incidentally　to　protect　her　own　industries　and　to　have　matter　for　bargaining　with　foreign　powers；　but　mainly　in　order　to　keep　the　colonies　within　her　orbit　by　offering　them　special　terms。　In　this　way　the　Empire　would　become　once　more　self…sufficient。　The　issue　thus　thrust　upon　Great　Britain　and　the　Empire　in　general　was　primarily　a　contest　between　free　traders　and　protectionists；　not　between　the　supporters　of　cooperation　and　the　supporters　of　centralization。　On　this　basis　the　issue　was　fought　out　in　Great　Britain　and　resulted　in　the　overwhelming　victory　of　free　trade　and　the　Liberal　party；　aided　as　they　were　by　the　popular　reaction　against　the　jingoist　policy　which　had　culminated　in　the　war。　When　the　fifth　Conference；　now　termed　Imperial　instead　of　Colonial；　met　in　1907；　there　was　much　impassioned　advocacy　of　preference　and　protection　on　the　part　of　Alfred　Deakin　of　Australia　and　Sir　L。S。　Jameson　of　the　Cape；　but　the　British　representatives　stuck　to　their　guns　and；　in　Winston　Churchill's　phrase；　the　door　remained　〃banged；　barred；　and　bolted〃　against　both　policies。　At　this　conference　Laurier　took　the　ground　that；　while　Canada　would　be　prepared　to　bargain　preference　for　preference；　the　people　of　Great　Britain　must　decide　what　fiscal　system　would　best　serve　their　own　interests。　A　con