the canadian dominion-第41章

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s　and　in　the　plains　of　England；　witnesses　the　price　this　people　of　eight　millions　paid　as　its　share　in　the　task　of　freeing　the　world　from　tyranny。

The　realization　that　in　a　world　war　not　merely　the　men　in　the　trenches　but　the　whole　nation　could　and　must　be　counted　as　part　of　the　fighting　force　was　slow　in　coming　in　Canada　as　in　other　democratic　and　unwarlike　lands。　Slowly　the　industry　of　the　country　was　adjusted　to　a　war　basis。　When　the　conflict　broke　out；　the　country　was　pulling　itself　together　after　the　sudden　collapse　of　the　speculative　boom　of　the　preceding　decade。　For　a　time　men　were　content　to　hold　their　organization　together　and　to　avert　the　slackening　of　trade　and　the　spread　of　unemployment　which　they　feared。　Then；　as　the　industrial　needs　and　opportunities　of　the　war　became　clear；　they　rallied。　Field　and　factory　vied　in　expansion；　and　the　Canadian　contribution　of　food　and　munitions　provided　a　very　substantial　share　of　the　Allies'　needs。　Exports　increased　threefold；　and　the　total　trade　was　more　than　doubled　as　compared　with　the　largest　year　before　the　war。

The　financing　of　the　war　and　of　the　industrial　expansion　which　accompanied　it　was　a　heavy　task。　For　years　Canada　had　looked　to　Great　Britain　for　a　large　share　alike　of　public　and　of　private　borrowings。　Now　it　became　necessary　not　merely　to　find　at　home　all　the　capital　required　for　ordinary　development　but　to　meet　the　burden　of　war　expenditure；　and　later　to　advance　to　Great　Britain　the　funds　she　required　for　her　purchase　of　supplies　in　Canada。　The　task　was　made　easier　by　the　effective　working　of　a　banking　system　which　had　many　times　proved　its　soundness　and　its　flexibility。　When　the　money　market　of　Britain　was　no　longer　open　to　overseas　borrowers；　the　Dominion　first　turned　to　the　United　States；　where　several　federal　and　provincial　loans　were　floated；　and　later　to　her　own　resources。　Domestic　loans　were　issued　on　an　increasing　scale　and　with　increasing　success；　and　the　Victory　Loan　of　1918　enrolled　one　out　of　every　eight　Canadians　among　its　subscribers。　Taxation　reached　an　adequate　basis　more　slowly。　Inertia　and　the　influence　of　business　interests　led　the　Government　to　cling　for　the　first　two　years　to　customs　and　excise　duties　as　its　main　reliance。　Then　excess　profits　and　income　taxes　of　steadily　increasing　weight　were　imposed；　and　the　burdens　were　distributed　more　fairly。　The　Dominion　was　able　not　only　to　meet　the　whole　expenditure　of　its　armed　forces　but　to　reverse　the　relations　which　existed　before　the　war　and　to　become；　as　far　as　current　liabilities　went；　a　creditor　rather　than　a　debtor　of　the　United　Kingdom。

It　was　not　merely　the　financial　relations　of　Canada　with　the　United　Kingdom　which　required　readjustment。　The　service　and　the　sacrifices　which　the　Dominions　had　made　in　the　common　cause　rendered　it　imperative　that　the　political　relations　between　the　different　parts　of　the　Empire　should　be　put　on　a　more　definite　and　equal　basis。　The　feeling　was　widespread　that　the　last　remnants　of　the　old　colonial　subordination　must　be　removed　and　that　the　control　exercised　by　the　Dominions　should　be　extended　over　the　whole　field　of　foreign　affairs。

The　Imperial　Conference　met　in　London　in　the　spring　of　1917。　At　special　War　Cabinet　meetings　the　representatives　of　the　Dominions　discussed　war　plans　and　peace　terms　with　the　leaders　of　Britain。　It　was　decided　to　hold　a　Conference　immediately　after　the　end　of　the　war　to　discuss　the　future　constitutional　organization　of　the　Empire。　Premier　Borden　and　General　Smuts　both　came　out　strongly　against　the　projects　of　imperial　parliamentary　federation　which　aggressive　organizations　in　Britain　and　in　some　of　the　Dominions　had　been　urging。　The　Conference　of　1917　recorded　its　view　that　any　coming　readjustment　must　be　based　on　a　full　recognition　of　the　Dominions　as　autonomous　nations　of　an　imperial　commonwealth；　that　it　should　recognize　the　right　of　the　Dominions　and　of　India　to　an　adequate　voice　in　foreign　policy；　and　that　it　should　provide　effective　arrangements　for　continuous　consultation　in　all　important　matters　of　common　concern　and　for　such　concerted　action　as　the　several　Governments　should　determine。　The　policy　of　alliance；　of　cooperation　between　the　Governments　of　the　equal　and　independent　states　of　the　Empire；　searchingly　tested　and　amply　justified　by　the　war；　had　compelled　assent。

The　coming　of　peace　gave　occasion　for　a　wider　and　more　formal　recognition　of　the　new　international　status　of　the　Dominions。　It　had　first　been　proposed　that　the　British　Empire　should　appear　as　a　unit；　with　the　representatives　of　the　Dominions　present　merely　in　an　advisory　capacity　or　participating　in　turn　as　members　of　the　British　delegation。　The　Dominion　statesmen　assembled　in　London　and　Paris　declined　to　assent　to　this　proposal；　and　insisted　upon　representation　in　the　Peace　Conference　and　in　the　League　of　Nations　in　their　own　right。　The　British　Government；　after　some　debate；　acceded；　and；　with　more　difficulty；　the　consent　of　the　leading　Allies　was　won。　The　representatives　of　the　Dominions　signed　the　treaty　with　Germany　on　behalf　of　their　respective　countries；　and　each　Dominion；　with　India；　was　made　a　member　of　the　League。　At　the　same　time　only　the　British　Empire；　and　not　any　of　the　Dominions；　was　given　a　place　in　the　real　organ　of　power；　the　Executive　Council　of　the　League；　and　in　many　respects　the　exact　relationship　between　the　United　Kingdom　and　the　other　parts　of　the　Empire　in　international　affairs　was　left　ambiguous；　for　later　events　and　counsel　to　determine。　Many　French　and　American　observers　who　had　not　kept　in　close　touch　with　the　growth　of　national　consciousness　within　the　British　Empire　were　apprehensive　lest　this　plan　should　prove　a　deep…laid　scheme　for　multiplying　British　influence　in　the　Conference　and　the　League。　Some　misunderstanding　was　natural　in　view　not　only　of　the　unprecedented　character　of　the　Empire's　development　and　polity；　but　of　the　incomplete　and　ambiguous　nature　of　the　compromise　affected　at　Paris　between　the　nationalist　and　the　imperialist　tendencies　within　the　Empire。　Yet　the　reluctance　of　the　British　imperialists　of　the　straiter　sect　to　accede　to　the　new　arrangement；　and　the　independence　of　action　of　the　Dominion　representatives　at　the　Conference；　as　in　the　stand　of　Premier　Hughes　of　Australia　on　the　Japanese　demand　for　recognition　of　racial　equality　and　in　the　statement　of　protest　by　General　Smuts　of　South　Africa　on　signing　the　treaty；　made　it　clear　that　the　Dominions　would　not　be　merely　echoes。　Borden　and　Botha　and　Smuts；　though　new　to　the　ways　of　diplomacy；　proved　that　in　clear　understanding　of　the　broader　issues　and　in　moderation　of　policy　and　temper　they　could　bear　comparison　with　any　of　the　leaders　of　the　older　nations。


The　war　also　brought　changes　in　the　relations　between　Canada　and　her　great　neighbor。　For　a　time　there　was　danger　that　it　would　erect　a　barrier　of　differing　ideals　and　contrary　experience。　When　month　after　month　went　by　with　the　United　States　still　clinging　to　its　policy　of　neutrality；　while　long　lists　of　wounded　and　dead　and　missing　were　filling　Canadian　newspapers；　a　quiet　but　deep　resentment；　not　without　a　touch　of　conscious　superiority；　developed　in　many　quarters　in　the　Dominion。　Yet　there　were　others　who　realized　how　difficult　and　how　necessary　it　was　for　the　United　States　to　attain　complete　unity　of　purpose　before　entering　the　war；　and　how　different　its　position　was　from　that。　of　Canada；　where　the　political　tie　with　Britain　had　brought　immediate　action　more　instinctive　than　reasoned。　It　was　remembered；　too；　that　in　the　first　360；000　Canadians　who　went　overseas；　there　were　12；000　men　of　American　birth；　including　both　residents　in　Canada　and　men　who　had　crossed　the　border　to　enlist。　When　the　patience　of　the　United　States　was　at　last　exhausted　and　it　took　its　place　in　the　ranks　of　the　nations　fighting　for　freedom；　the　joy　of　Canadians　was　unbounded。　The　entrance　of　the　United　States　into　the　war　assured　not　only　the　triumph　of　democracy　in　Europe　but　the　continuance　and　extension　of　frank　and　friendly　relations　between　the　democracies　of　North　America。　As　the　war　went　on　and　Canada　and　the　United　States　were　led　more　and　more　to　pool　their　united　resources；　to　cooperate　in　finance　and　in　the　suppl