the canadian dominion-第31部分

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ssibly　a　stage　through　which　Canada；　like　every　young　nation；　had　to　pass；　and　the　gentle　art　of　twisting　the　lion's　tail　had　proved　a　model　for　the　practice　of　plucking　the　eagle's　feathers。


The　growth　of　Canada　brought　her　into　closer　touch　with　lands　across　the　sea。　Men；　money；　and　merchandise　came　from　East　and　West；　and　with　their　coming　new　problems　faced　the　Government　of　the　Dominion。　With　Europe　they　were　trade　questions　to　solve；　and　with　Asia　the　more　delicate　issues　arising　out　of　oriental　immigration。

In　1907　the　Canadian　Government　had　established　an　intermediate　tariff；　with　rates　halfway　between　the　general　and　the　British　preferential　tariffs；　for　the　express　purpose　of　bargaining　with　other　powers。　In　that　year　an　agreement　based　substantially　on　these　intermediate　rates　was　negotiated　with　France；　though　protectionist　opposition　in　the　French　Senate　prevented　ratification　until　1910。　Similar　reciprocal　arrangements　were　concluded　in　1910　with　Belgium；　the　Netherlands；　and　Italy。　The　manner　of　the　negotiation　was　as　significant　as　the　matter。　In　the　case　of　France　the　treaty　was　negotiated　in　Paris　by　two　Canadian　ministers；　W。S。　Fielding　and　L。P。　Brodeur；　appointed　plenipotentiaries　of　His　Majesty　for　that　purpose；　with　the　British　Ambassador　associated　in　what　Mr。　Arthur　Balfour　termed　a　〃purely　technical〃　capacity。　In　the　case　of　the　other　countries　even　this　formal　recognition　of　the　old　colonial　status　was　abandoned。　The　agreement　with　Italy　was　negotiated　in　Canada　between　〃the　Royal　Consul　of　Italy　for　Canada；　representing　the　government　of　the　Kingdom　of　Italy；　and　the　Minister　of　Finance　of　Canada；　representing　His　Excellency　the　Governor　General　acting　in　conjunction　with　the　King's　Privy　Council　for　Canada。〃　The　conclusions　in　these　later　instances　were　embodied　in　conventions；　rather　than　formal　treaties。

With　one　country；　however；　tariff　war　reigned　instead　of　treaty　peace。　In　1899　Germany　subjected　Canadian　exports　to　her　general　or　maximum　tariff；　because　the　Dominion　refused　to　grant　her　the　preferential　rates　reserved　for　members　of　the　British　Empire　group　of　countries。　After　four　years'　deliberation　Canada　eventually　retaliated　by　imposing　on　German　goods　a　special　surtax　of　thirty…three　and　one…third　per　cent。　The　trade　of　both　countries　suffered；　but　Germany's；　being　more　specialized；　much　the　more　severely。　After　seven　years'　strife；　Germany　took　the　initiative　in　proposing　a　truce。　In　1910　Canada　agreed　to　admit　German　goods　at　the　rates　of　the　generalnot　the　intermediatetariff；　while　Germany　in　return　waived　her　protest　against　the　British　preference　and　granted　minimum　rates　on　the　most　important　Canadian　exports。

Oriental　immigration　had　been　an　issue　in　Canada　ever　since　Chinese　navvies　had　been　imported　in　the　early　eighties　to　work　on　the　government　sections　of　the　Canadian　Pacific　Railway。　Mine　owners；　fruit　farmers；　and　contractors　were　anxious　that　the　supply　should　continue　unchecked；　but；　as　in　the　United　States；　the　economic　objections　of　the　labor　unions　and　the　political　objections　of　the　advocates　of　a　〃White　Canada〃　carried　the　day。

Chinese　immigration　had　been　restricted　in　1885　by　a　head　tax　of　50　on　all　immigrants　save　officials；　merchants；　or　scholars；　in　1901　this　tax　was　doubled；　and　in　1904　it　was　raised　to　500。　In　each　case　the　tax　proved　a　barrier　only　for　a　year　or　two；　when　wages　would　rise　sufficiently　to　warrant　Orientals　paying　the　higher　toll　to　enter　the　Promised　Land。　Japanese　immigrants　did　not　come　in　large　numbers　until　1906；　when　the　activities　of　employment　companies　brought　seven　thousand　Japanese　by　way　of　Hawaii。　Agitators　from　。the　Pacific　States　fanned　the　flames　of　opposition　in　British　Columbia；　and　anti…Chinese　and　anti…Japanese　riots　broke　out　in　Vancouver　in　1907。　The　Dominion　Government　then　grappled　with　the　question。　Japan's　national　sensitiveness　and　her　position　as　an　ally　of　Great　Britain　called　for　diplomatic　handling。　A　member　of　the　Dominion　Cabinet；　Rodolphe　Lemieux；　succeeded　in　1907　in　negotiating　at　Tokio　an　agreement　by　which　Japan　herself　undertook　to　restrict　the　number　of　passports　issued　annually　to　emigrants　to　Canada。

The　Hindu　migration；　which　began　in　1907；　gave　rise　to　a　still　more　delicate　situation。　What　did　the　British　Empire　mean；　many　a　Hindu　asked；　if　British　subjects　were　to　be　barred　from　British　lands？　The　only　reply　was　that　the　British　Government　which　still　ruled　India　no　longer　ruled　the　Dominions；　and　that　it　was　on　the　Dominions　that　the　responsibility　for　the　exclusion　policy　must　rest。　In　1909　Canada　suggested　that　the　Indian　Government　itself　should　limit　emigration；　but　this　policy　did　not　meet　with　approval　at　the　time。　Failing　in　this　measure；　the　Laurier　Government　fell　back　on　a　general　clause　in　the　Immigration　Act　prohibiting　the　entrance　of　immigrants　except　by　direct　passage　from　the　country　of　origin　and　on　a　continuous　ticket；　a　rule　which　effectually　barred　the　Hindu　because　of　the　lack　of　any　direct　steamship　line　between　India　and　Canada。　An　Order…in…Council　further　required　that　immigrants　from　all　Asiatic　countries　must　possess　at　least　200　on　entering　Canada。　The　Borden　Government　supplemented　these　restrictions　by　a　special　Order…in…Council　in　1913　prohibiting　the　landing　of　artisans　or　unskilled　laborers　of　any　race　at　ports　in　British　Columbia；　ostensibly　because　of　depression　in　the　labor　market。　The　leaders　of　the　Hindu　movement；　with　apparently　some　German　assistance；　determined　to　test　these　restrictions。　In　May；　1914；　there　arrived　at　Vancouver　from　Shanghai　a　Japanese　ship　carrying　four　hundred　Sikhs　from　India。　A　few　were　admitted；　as　having　been　previously　domiciled　in　Canada；　the　others；　after　careful　inquiry；　were　refused　admittance　and　ordered　to　be　deported。　Local　police　were　driven　away　from　the　ship　when　attempting　to　enforce　the　order；　and　the　Government　ordered　H。M。C。S。　Rainbow　to　intervene。　By　a　curious　irony　of　history；　the　first　occasion　on　which　this　first　Canadian　warship　was　called　on　to　display　force　was　in　expelling　from　Canada　the　subjects　of　another　part　of　the　British　Empire。　Further　trouble　followed　when　the　Sikhs　reached　Calcutta　in　September；　1914；　for　riots　took　place　involving　serious　loss　of　life　and　later　an　abortive　attempt　at　rebellion。　Fortunately　there　were　good　prospects　that　the　Indian　Government　would　in　future　accept　the　proposal　made　by　Canada　in　1909。　At　the　Imperial　Conference　of　1917；　where　representatives　of　India　were　present　for　the　first　time；　it　was　agreed　to　recommend　the　principle　of　reciprocity　in　the　treatment　of　immigrants；　India　thus　being　free　to　save　her　pride　by　imposing　on　men　from　the　Dominions　the　same　restrictions　the　Dominions　imposed　on　immigrants　from　India。


But　all　these　dealings　with　lands　across　the　sea　paled　into　insignificance　beside　the　task　imposed　on　Canada　by　the　Great　War。　In　the　sudden　crisis　the　Dominion　attained　a　place　among　the　nations　which　the　slower　changes　of　peace　time　could　scarcely　have　made　possible　in　decades。

When　the　war　party　in　Germany　and　Austria…Hungary　plunged　Europe　into　the　struggle　the　world　had　long　been　fearing；　there　was　not　a　moment's　hesitation　on　the　part　of　the　people　of　Canada。　It　was　not　merely　the　circumstance　that　technically　Canada　was　at　war　when　Britain　was　at　war　that　led　Canadians　to　instant　action。　The　degree　of　participation；　if　not　the　fact　of　war；　was　wholly　a　matter　for　the　separate　Dominions。　It　was　the　deep　and　abiding　sympathy　with　the　mother　country　whose　very　existence　was　to　be　at　stake。　Later；　with　the　unfolding　of　Germany's　full　designs　of　world　dominance　and　the　repeated　display　of　her　callous　and　ruthless　policies；　Canada　comprehended　the　magnitude　of　the　danger　threatening　all　the　world　and　grimly　set　herself　to　help　end　the　menace　of　militarism　once　for　all。

On　August　1；　1914；　two　days　before　Belgium　was　invaded；　and　three　days　before　war　between　Britain　and　Germany　had　been　declared；　the　Dominion　Government　cabled　to　London　their　firm　assurance　that　the　people　of　Canada　would　make　every　sacrifice　necessary　to　secure　the　integrity　and　honor　of　the　Empire　and　asked　for　suggestions　as　to　the　form　aid　should　take。　The　financial　and　administrative　measures　the　emergency　demanded　were　carried　out　by　Orders…in…Council　in　accordance　with　the　scheme　of　defense　which　only　a　few　months　before　had　been　drawn　up　in　a　〃War　Book〃。　Two　weeks　later；　Parliament　met　in　a　special　four　day　session　and　without　a　dissenting　voice　voted　the　war　credits　the　Government　asked　and　conferred　upon　it　special　war　powers　of　the　widest　scope。　The　country　then　set　about　providing　men；　money；　and　munitions　of　war。

The　day　after　war　was　declared；　recruiting　was　begun　for　an　expeditionary　force　of　21；000　men。　Half　as　many　more　poured　into　the　camp　at　Valcartier　near　Quebec；　and　by　the　middle　of　October　this　first　Canadian　contingent；　over　30；000　strong；　the　largest　body　of　troops　which　had　ever　crossed　the　Atlantic；　was　already　in　England；　where　its　training　was　to　be　completed。　As　the　war　went　on　and　all　previous　forecasts　of　its　duration　and　its　scale　were　far　outrun；　these　numbers　were　multiplied　many　times。　By　the　summer　of　1917　over　400；000　men　had　been　enrolled　for　service；　and　over　340；000　had　already　gone　overseas；　aside　from　over　25；000　Allied　reservists。

Naturally　enough　it　was　the　young　men　of　British　birth　who　first　responded　in　large　numbers　to　the　recruiting　officer's　appeal。　A　military　background；　vivid　home　memories；　the　enlistment　of　kinsmen　or　friends　overseas；　the　frequent　slightness　of　local　ties；　sent　them　forth　in　splendid　and　steady　array。　Then　the　call　came　home　to　the　native…born；　and　particularly　to　Canadians　of　English　speech。　Few　of　them　had　dreamed　of　war；　few　had　been　trained　even　in　militia　musters；　but　in　tens　of　thousands　they　volunteered。　From　French…speaking　Canada　the　response　was　slower；　in　spite　of　the　endeavors　of　the　leaders　of　the　Opposition　as　well　as　of　the　Government　to　encourage　enlistment。　In　some　measure　this　was　only　to　be　expected。　Quebec　was　dominantly　rural；　its　men　married　young；　and　the　country　parishes　had　little　touch　with　the　outside　world。　Its　people　had　no　racial　sympathy　with　Britain　and　their　connecti