THE VERITABLE AIMS OF THE ALLIES.
After doing their utmost to persuade the French Canadians that the
Allies, more especially England and Russia, were equally responsible for
the war, together with Germany and Austria, our "Nationalist" leaders
moreover asserted that they were hostile to a just and lasting peace on
account of their unfair claims. In support of their pretension, they
repeatedly affirmed that the Allies were pledged to the complete
destruction of the German Empire. No more unfounded charge could be made
against the Nations suddenly challenged to a gigantic struggle for life
or death.
It was very important to protect my French Canadian countrymen against
views which, if not proved to be absolutely wrong, were calculated to
bias their mind against the Allies. With this patriotic object strongly
impressed upon my mind, I fully explained what were the veritable aims
of Great Britain, France, Russia and Italy, in fighting their deadly
enemy. When I issued my French book, the United States had not then
entered the contest. Their declaration of war against Germany, in the
spring of 1917, after the outrage of the sinking of the Lusitania, and
the numerous criminal provocations of the submarine campaign, clearly
emphasized, once more, what the Allies had been strenuously struggling
for from the outbreak of the hostilities. They had taken up the gauntlet
savagely thrown to them, declaring to the world that they would battle
to the last to put an end to German militarism, always threatening
general peace, to protect the small nations, notably Belgium and Servia,
against the onslaught of mighty and tyrannical conquerors, to save
Humanity, Civilization and Freedom from the crushing ascendency of
autocratic rule. The great American Republic rallied with them to the
defence of this most sacred cause. Need I refer to the numerous and
eloquent messages of President Wilson, to the writings of the American
press, and to the declarations of all the leading public men of the
United States, in both Houses of Congress, or before public meetings, in
support of the contention which was proved beyond controversy for all
fair minded men.
Mr. Bourassa, whether from sheer misconception, or blindly carried away
by incomprehensible German sympathies, having their root in his
prejudiced hostility to England, could see no difference between a war
policy aiming at putting an end to Prussian militarism, and one having
for its object the dismemberment of the German Empire. Nor could he
conceive that fighting for human liberty was a nobler purpose than
struggling for autocratic tyranny. Though ever posing as the champion
of the small nationalities, he would not utter a word of sympathy for
martyred Belgium, barbarously conquered Servia, oppressed Poland, since
the beginning of the war.
The great conflict once begun under so terrific conditions, every one
somewhat posted with the immense resources of the belligerents, their
respective warlike spirit and enduring qualities, could easily foresee
that, unfortunately, it was most likely to last for several years, the
contending parties being so far apart in their respective aspirations.
Elated beyond all reason by her triumph over France, in 1870, which had
for its first very important result the final creation of the German
Empire, proclaimed to the world from Versailles,--the bleeding heart of
her vanquished foe,--the new great Power, dominating Central Europe,
lost no time in setting all its energies to the task of perfecting the
most gigantic military organization ever seen. To all clear sighted men,
Germany could not be supposed to accept the heavy sacrifices required
for such an end with the sole purpose of maintaining peace. Further
conquests were evidently her inspiring aim.
Who can forget how Humanity was staggered by the rapidity of the
onslaught of the Teutonic hordes let loose against nations whose
greatest wish was to keep the peace of the world? In a sudden rush, the
waves of the torrent overran Belgium and Northern France dashing direct
towards Paris.
The wonderful plan of campaign, so scientifically conceived and matured,
could then be understood as it was boldly and powerfully developed. The
Berlin military staff, knowing that France was not sufficiently prepared
for the struggle, that England, if forced to intervene in honour bound,
by the criminal violation of Belgium's neutrality, would require a
couple of years to organize an army of millions of men, decided to
strike the first blow with such an overpowering strength as to conquer
Belgium in a victorious run and crush France out of the fight. A couple
of months were to be sufficient to that most coveted end. Meantime
Austria was to face and resist the Russian attack, to allow Germany the
necessary time to settle victoriously the western part of the campaign,
so cleverly planned and successfully carried out, before transferring
her glorious legions to the Eastern theatre of the war. Russia was not
supposed to be able to properly organize her armies in less than many
months, when it could no longer expect to triumph over the enthusiastic
Huns.
In the depressing darkness of those anxious days, the great Marne
victory came like the brilliant sun piercing the heavy clouds, pledging
final success as the reward of the persevering courage and heroism to be
long displayed to deserve it. Germany's first dream of conquering
universal domination by military operations even overshadowing those of
the illustrious Napoleonic Era, and of Caesar's marvellously laid deep
foundations of Roman grandeur, was shattered to pieces.
Before the Teutonic armies could be reorganized for another great
offensive, England's forces and those of her Colonies would be in a
position to enter the struggle; France's resources would be brought to
bear with all their strength; Italy would break away from the Central
Empires and heartily join the Allies.
Then the conflict turned to that weary trench fighting which to the
sadness of its trials added new evidence of the inevitable lengthening
of the war. No wonder that the longing for peace was intensified under
the pressure of conditions becoming more and more trying. Without doubt
all true friends of human prosperity and happiness, in their limited
possible worldly measure, were fervently praying to God in favour of the
restoration of harmony between the warring Nations. But they saw with
undeniable clearness that there were two essential--sine qua
non--conditions to the peace of the future. To be of any value it must
be _Just_ and _Durable_. If it could become permanent, much more the
better.
Unfortunately, outside the legions of the true friends of an honourable
peace, there were found, in the Allied countries, faint hearted men
getting tired of the worries and sacrifices consequent upon the
prolonged struggle. The moment they began to show their hands, was the
signal for the ultra Revolutionists of Russia, finally organized into
the disastrous bolshevikism, for the paid traitors of France, for the
disloyal elements of the British Empire, to rally around them to set in
motion, with accrued force, a current of opinion clamouring for peace
almost at any price. To quiet this unpatriotic longing of the
disheartened, the political leaders of the Allies publicly explained
their war aims, positively affirming that their objective was that _Just
and Durable_ peace to which alone they could and would agree.
Canada had also her _pacifist_ element. So far as the French Canadians
were concerned, it was, though small in numbers, almost entirely
recruited in the ranks of the supporters of "_Nationalism_." I feel I
must explain that our "_Nationalism_," as it has been repeatedly
propounded, does not in the least represent the sound views of the very
large majority of my French Canadian countrymen.
As was to be expected, Mr. Bourassa was again the outspoken organ of our
French Canadian _pacifists_. He laid great stress on what he gave out as
a fact: that if peace negotiations were not at once entered upon and
brought to a successful conclusion, it was on account of the Allies'
unreasonable claims, pointing especially to England's determination not
to surrender her supremacy on the high seas, to develop more and more
what he termed her _imperialism_ for the purpose of dominating the world
_economically_.
In my French work, I strongly took issue with the views of our
_pacifists_ as expressed by their leader and their press. Addressing my
French Canadian countrymen on the bounden duties of all loyal British
subjects, it was my ardent purpose to tell them the plain truth.
Writing, as I did, in 1916, I was then, as I had been from the very
beginning, firmly convinced that the conflict would be of long duration,
that it was very wrong--even criminal if disloyally inspired--for any
one to delude them by vain hopes, or deceive them by false charges.
Having some knowledge of military strategy and tactics, I saw with the
clear light of noon day that, despite the gigantic efforts put forth by
the Allies, and the admirable heroism of their armies--our Canadian
force brilliantly playing its part--final victory would be attained only
by indomitable perseverance, both of the millions of fighting men and of
the whole Allied nations backing them to the last with their moral and
material support. That profound conviction of mine I was very anxious to
strongly impress on the minds of my French-Canadian readers, imploring
them not to be carried away by the "Nationalist" erroneous pretentions
that peace could easily be obtained, if the Allies would only agree to
negotiate. I told them plainly, what was absolutely true, that the war
aims of Germany were so well known and inadmissible that there was not
the least shadow of hope that peace negotiations could lead to a
reasonable understanding realizing the two imperious conditions of
_Justice and Durability_ in a settlement to which all the Allies were
in honour pledged. I explained to them that it was no use whatever to be
deluded by expectations, however tempting they might appear, because
under the then conditions of the military situation--time and events
have since brought no favourable change but quite the reverse--there was
not the slightest chance of an opening for a successful consideration of
the questions to be debated and settled before the complete cessation of
the conflict. There was only one conclusion to be drawn from the
circumstances of the case, and, however sad to acknowledge, it was that
the fight must be carried on to a final victorious issue, any weakening
of determination and purpose being sure to bring about humiliating
defeat.
THE ONLY POSSIBLE PEACE CONDITIONS.
Whenever representatives of the belligerents shall meet to negotiate for
peace, there will of course be many questions of first class importance
to consider and discuss. But the one which must overshadow any other and
of necessity carry the day, is that peace must be restored under
conditions that will, if not forever, at least for many long years,
protect Humanity and Civilization against a recurrence of such a
calamity as ambitious and cruel Germany has criminally imposed upon the
world. I urged my French Canadian readers to consider seriously how
peace due to a compromise, accepted out of sheer discouragement, would
soon develop into a still more trying ordeal than the one Canada had
willingly and deliberately undertaken to fight out with the Allies. I
forcibly explained to them that if the present war did not result in an
international agreement to put an end to the extravagant and ruinous
militarism which, under Prussian terrorism, was proving to be the curse
of almost the whole universe, all the sacrifices of so many millions of
lives, heroically given, of untold sufferings, of so much treasures,
would have been made in vain if Germany was allowed to continue a
permanent menace to general tranquillity.
It was a wonder to me that any one could fail to understand that an
armed peace would be only a truce during which militarism would be
spreading with increased vigour and strength. It was evident--and still
daily becoming more and more so--that Germany would only consent to it
with the determination to renew, on a still much larger scale, her
military organization with the purpose of a more gigantic effort at
universal domination.
Then was it not plain that labouring under the inevitable necessity of
such an international situation, the Allied nations,--the British Empire
as much as France, the United States and Italy--would by force be
obliged to make the sacrifices required to maintain their military
systems in such a state of efficiency as to be always ready to face
their ambitious foe with good prospects of success. Such being the
undeniable case, I affirmed--I am sure with the best of reasons--that
Great Britain could not return to her ante-war policy of the enlistment
of only a small standing territorial army, trusting as formerly to her
Naval strength for her defence and the safe maintenance of her prestige
and power. Like all the continental nations, England would have to incur
the very heavy cost of keeping millions of men always fully armed.
I firmly told my French Canadian countrymen that it was no use deluding
themselves with the "Nationalist" notion that peace being restored under
the above mentioned circumstances, the British Colonies would not be
called upon to share, with England, the burdens of the extensive
military preparations necessitated for their own safety as well as for
that of Great Britain and the whole Empire. The very reasons which had
prompted Canada and all her sister Dominions to intervene in the present
war, would surely induce them to cooperate with the Mother Country to
maintain a highly and costly state of military preparedness in order to
be ever ready for any critical emergency.
Could it be believed that after the sad experience of the actual
conflict, the Allied nations--Great Britain perhaps more than any
other--would blindly once again run the risk of being caught napping and
deceived by an unscrupulous and hypocritical enemy, unsufficiently
prepared to at once rise in their might to fight for their very
national existence and the safety of Mankind against tyrannical
absolutism. If such abominable pages of History as those that for the
last four years are written with the blood of millions of heroes
defending Human Freedom were, by fear of new sacrifices, allowed to be
repeated, shame would be on the supposed civilized world having fallen
so low as to bow to the dictates of barbarism. Let all truly hearted men
hope and pray that no such dark days shall again be the fearful lot of
Humanity. Let them all resolve that if the world can at last emerge free
from the present hurricane, they will not permit, out of weakness and
despondency, the sweeping waves of teutonism to submerge Civilization
and destroy the monuments of the work of centuries of the Christian Art.
After showing the dark side of the picture, and what would be the
fearful consequences of a German victory, or of an armed peace pending
the renewal, with still much increased vigour and resources, of the
conflict only suspended, I explained to my French Canadian readers the
great advantages to be derived by all, Germany included, from the
restoration of peace carrying with it the untold benefits to be derived
from the cessation of extravagant military organization, yearly
destroying the capital created by hard work and the saving of the
millions of the working populations. If an international agreement could
be arrived at by which militarism would be reduced to the requirements
of the maintenance of interior order and the safeguarding of
conventional peace amongst the Powers, then many long years of material
prosperity, in all its diversity of beneficial development, would surely
follow. Canada, like the other British Colonies, would not have to incur
any very large expenditure for military purposes, devoting all her
energies to the intelligent building of the grand future which her
immense territorial resources would certainly make, not only possible,
but sure.
How much could material development be conducive to intellectual, moral
and religious progress, if the Nations of the Earth would only sincerely
and permanently abide by the Divine teachings of Christianity.
Considering all the conditions of the military situation, at the end of
the summer of 1916, I clearly perceived the imperious necessity of the
Allies--Canada as well as all her associates--to fight to a finish. That
duty I did my best to impress on the minds of the French Canadians.
Events have since developed in many ways, but they all tend to
strengthen the conviction that ultimate victory will only be the price
of unshaken perseverance, of undaunted courage, of more patriotic
sacrifices.