Copy of Transferring Doc. PDF - Canadian Conscription Debate - 1917

“To call 1917 the birth of Canada is also to ignore the triumphs and history of the nation that preceded it: the deep Indigenous roots, the success of Confederation in 1867, the settling of the west and so forth, all of which could just as credibly be called the beginning of Canada as we know it. W...

“To call 1917 the birth of Canada is also to ignore the triumphs and history of the nation that preceded it: the deep Indigenous roots, the success of Confederation in 1867, the settling of the west and so forth, all of which could just as credibly be called the beginning of Canada as we know it. We also like to say that the war unified us, but Canada was more divided than ever by 1918, due to largely to the Borden government's treatment of French-speaking citizens, who were often turned away from recruiting centres in favour of Brits and Anglophones. Militia minister Sam Hughes, who most now consider to have been crazy, loathed French-Canadians. When they came forward in 1914, they were largely turned away, as were blacks and Indigenous Canadians.” (Tony Keene, reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces) This first passage supports Valpy’s position as it states that by marking the Battle of Vimy Ridge the “birth of Canada” disregards the overlooked aspects of Canadian history that preceded it. This includes Canada’s Indigenous history, the success of Confederation and the settlement of the rest, which all occurred before 1917. Keene suggests that by deeming Vimy Ridge as what defines our nation, it ignores the rich and complex past of Canada. The second passage addresses broader public opinion that claims that World War I (and Vimy) united our nation. It implies that the exclusion of French-speaking Canadians and other minority groups have worsened since the war began, which would contradict the belief that Vimy shaped Canada. This passage does not undermine the military success that Vimy was, but rather highlights the imbalance of war effort and participation from different ethnic groups due to Borden and Hughes’ neglect. This is a reliable source because the author, Tony Keene was a reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces for 40 years and likely has an enriched understanding of how the military works and had first-hand experience from multiple overseas tours of duty. His complex understanding of the military allows him to differentiate between military victory and national victory. Additionally, he has journalism and broadcasting experience, which adds further credibility. A Debate on Conscription Viewpoints on Conscription / Lucy a Regina mother of 3 sons (51) The British Empire is a big family. When a member of the family is attacked by an ouisider, I think it is only right to support them. It's hard to see our boys go but it's the right thing to do. My son, Jim, gave his life to preserve the Empire. I'm proud of him. If the Allies Lose the war from lack of men, he will have died for nothing. We must win. Martha a Toronto housewife (48) This conscription law is not right. They shouldn't be able to just come in and take away our sons. My Robert is studying law at the university. In two more years he will finish his degree. His father worked long hours to build what we have, which one day will be Robert's. We can offer the government money for the war effort. I am doing considerable volunteer work. Shouldn't this be enough? Claudette an Ontario French Canadian bus driver (25) Canada has already sent more than! 500 000 soldiers to be slaughtered. Will a few thousand more who are forced to go overseas make a big difference? If they choose to go, that is their right. Don't, however, force them. They won't make good soldiers. Marcel an urban French Canadian (22) I won't go! It's not our war. Canada should never have gotten involved in the first place. If the English Canadians want to fight that's their business. We French Canadians are not interested in fighting Britain's war. My friends and I plan to go up north where they won't be able to find us. Johnson a Protestant clergy (52) Borden is going to enact a just and necessary law. Granted, we do not wish to see our young go off to war. But, the fate of democracy is at stake. It is our duty to God and the King to come to Britain's assistance. Our boys have already gone, believing it to be the right thing to do. Now they need our help. Will we let them down? No! Canadians are not cowards. We will fight to enjoy a just victory. BilL a Quebec construction worker (24) My family left Europe only eight years ago. I guess if we had stayed there, I'd already be involved in the war. Probably as a soldier. I love this new country. As Papa says, it's been good to us. Now I have a good job. I guess I owe the country something in retum, so I will support conscription if that is what the government wants Olaf a recent immigrant (49) Our faith rejects war as a means of solving problems. We are forbidden to fight. We don't know what to do. If we declare ourselves conscientious objectors, my eldest son, Jacob and I lose the right to vote to defeat the govemment. If we don't make a declaration, Jacob can be forced to go. Govemments shouldn't pass such laws. God wants men to live in peace, not to wage war. Sarah a Manitoba farm wife (62) It's about time they passed a conscription law. Now everyone will have to fight just like our boys. My sons joined up even though we needed them here on the farm. My husband is too sick to work in the fields, but the government cries out for wheat to feed the troops. I just want this war to be over 322 AT tonomous- A Debate on Conscription Frank a Nova Scotia artist (30) I got away from the continual unrest in Europe to come to a country that was peaceful. There are opportunities here that were not available to me there. Now Canada wants me to fight. No other dominion of the Empire has conscription, nor is planning it. What kind of a country is this anyway? It's a dictatorship; that's what it is. Hilda a British Columbia secretary (31) I can't say I support the idea of being part of the British Empire. I think Canada should be free of Great Britain. Yet my parents still live there and if Germany wins the war, I guess we would become part of the German Empire. Will we be any more free then? No. I say, let's fight, then ask Great Britain for our total independence. Pierre a French Canadian farmer (30) I am French Canadian, but also 1 am Canadian. I know many French Canadians are most unhappy about conscription. I wouldn't want to say this out loud but I think they are wrong This is a good country where French and English could live side by side and be friends. Both of our mother countries are suffering in Europe and we should help end it. Mary an Ontario factory worker (29) Finally Borden got it right. It angers me to see all the younger men in the factory doing work that we are capable of doing. They claim they are necessary. Hah! They don't work any harder or faster then I do. Furthermore, we women are paid less. It's not a good enough excuse for them not to volunteer. So let conscription come-we women can handle the homefront. Wilma retired; emigrated to Canada in 1910 (69) The Americans had it right. They didn't enter the war until they felt themselves threatened. Had we waited instead of sending troops in 1914, Canada could have saved the Lives of thousands of our men. Millions of dollars could have been saved if Canada had done like the Americans and offered only token support. We've already done more than enough. Charlie a Labour leader (38) Borden promised us there would be no conscription. I believed hir. He should not break his promises. Our men at home are supporting our men overseas and the Allied cause. The mines and factories at home require their labour. Without them our men overseas will not be able to do their jobs. Tom - an Alberta Metis soldier, serving overseas (19) We need heip. We are exhausted, and many who have had injuries or been sick are still here doing their duty. We believe we can and will succeed against the Central Powers but we need more fighting men to hold the line and push the enemy back. Don't let us down. Chaose conscription. Jeanette a French Canadian writer (40) For Canada to succeed, French and English must understand each other. The English have never really attempted to understand us. They have always wanted to make Canada an English country. French Canadians must continue to demonstrate to the English that we are not interested in being involved in an European war. Attempts to force us to serve the English cause cannot and will not succeed. 323 The Conscription Issue By late 1916, Canada had raised an army of nearly 500 000 volunteers. One-sixth of Canada's eligible men volunteered for the army. Thousands more volunteered to serve in the artillery, engineering, railway units, medical corps, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal British Navy. Some recent immigrants left Canada and returned to Great Britain to volunteer for the British army. By 1917, sources of new volunteers began to dwindle. The number of volunteers was not keeping up to the number of Canadian men killed or wounded. Canadians were deeply divided about whether the government should introduce conscription. It was seen as a threat to national unity. Under conscription, able-bodied men who had not volunteered to join the army could legally be forced to do so. Exceptions could be made for individuals who could show they were indispensable at home or to the war effort in Canada. For Your Notebook 1. Use a chart like the one on page 353 of the Appendix to make notes on the points of view in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada on the conscription issue (pages 320 to 324). Points of View In Quebec At the beginning of the war, most English and French Canadians generally supported Canada's war effort. A smaller proportion of French-speaking Canadians volunteered to fight in Europe. One French-speaking regiment, the 22nd Battalion (known as the Vandoos), was raised entirely in Quebec. However, many French Canadians opposed the war, and their anti-war feelings were strong. Over the next few years, French Canadians, led by Henri Bourassa, began to oppose Canada's war efforts. There were a number of reasons for this: Many French Canadians viewed the war as a British war. They felt Canada was wrong in its wholehearted response to supporting Great Britain. They felt the Central Powers were not a threat to Canada. Many French Canadian families had lived in Canada for several hundred years. They felt no strong ties to either Great Britain or France. Many French Canadians believed that English Canada did not respect them or their culture. They felt they had not been treated well since Confederation. Autonomous -self-governing, able to act independently 320 Sam Hughes, the minister of militia and defence, had created few Quebec regiments and appointed few French Canadian officers to important commands. Hr also made English the sole language of the army. Protestant clergy were used to recruit French Canadians in Quebec and to provide religious service to Roman Catholic soldiers serving in the war. Elsewhere in Canada Conscription was opposed by many English Canadians as well, but some felt it was necessary. Many Canadians felt that Canada had already contributed more soldiers in proportion to its population than either Great Britain or France, and no more should be sent. Many felt that the production of food and war materials was as important to the war effort as combat was, so more men could not be spared. Canadians were aware of the terrible losses of Canadian lives in European trenches. Some did not want further lives lost. The original reasons for going to war were still true for many: the patriotic need to support Great Britain and the need to oppose aggression against free democracies. Many Canadians felt that Canada could not reduce its commitment to the war in Europe because of the danger to the Canadians already fighting there, or in memory of those who had already died. Resentment grew because fewer volunteers came from French Canada. Imperial Conference of 1917 In early 1917, Great Britain's new prime minister, David Lloyd George, invited the dominions to attend an Imperial Conference. In a surprising move, he chose to consult with them and invited them to sit as full members of the British War Cabinet. The War Cabinet was responsible for decisions about running Great Britain's war effort. This invitation recognized the contribution the dominions were making. At this conference, Canada's Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden proposed some important changes to the British Empire. He wanted the dominions to be recognized as autonomous nations and to have a voice in Great Britain's foreign policy. Great Britain did not object, but would not discuss the request at that time. Following the conference, Borden visited Canadian soldiers in training and in hospitals in England. He also went to France, where he visited Canadian soldiers on the front lines. While there, Borden decided that conscription had to be introduced. Military Service Act On June 11, 1917, Borden introduced the Military Service Act to Canada's House of Commons. A short but angry debate followed. In his political party, only four French-speaking Conservatives failed to support Borden. Laurier strongly opposed conscription. The Military Service Act was passed by 102 votes to 44. On August 28, 1917, the Military Service Act became law. The Act made military service compulsory for all able-bodied male Canadians between the ages of 20 and 34. Some exceptions were made for those in essential war industries, conscientious objectors, and those whose families might experience great hardship if they were conscripted. The issue of conscription not only divided the politicians, it divided the country. Some strongly opposed it. Some strongly supported it. Farmers generally opposed it. Conscription would take away more of their sons and hired men needed for their farms. Labour leaders opposed conscription. They felt factory workers were making an important contribution to the war. The loss of conscripted workers would severely limit Canada's production of food and wartime supplies. Labour leaders considered calling a general strike. Many armers and labour leaders were English Canadians. The strongest opponents of conscription, however, were the French Canadians. They had little enthusiasm for World War I. In Montreal and other parts of Quebec, anti-conscription riots occurred during the summer of 1917. Quebec's less enthusiastic participation in the war effort was not understood by most English-speaking Canadians. An anti-conscription march in Montreal on Victoria Day in 1917 Conscientious objectors-those who refuse to join the military because of their religious or moral beliefs Rebuttal-argument that responds to and counters an opponent's argument A Debate on Conscription Review pages 320 to 323. The points of view on pages 322 and 323 are based on opinions of people at the time. (See also pages 353 and 354.) Debate the following issue: The government of Canada should introduce conscription. Step 1: Your teacher will divide the class into three-person teams and organize them into pairs of opposing teams. In each pair one team will support the issue (Pro) and one oppose it (Con). The following format has been set for three-person teams, but may be adapted. Step 2: Each team reviews the material from pages 320 to 323 and makes notes on information that can be used to support their team's position on the issue. It is important to also anticipate what the opponents' arguments are likely to be so that you can rebut them (show why they are not right). Rebuttal is as important as argument. Plan your debate as a team so that you don't repeat each other and your team gives all the possible arguments for (or against) the issue. Step 3: Each pair of teams carries out its debate, following the rules of debating. One format is provided below: 1. First Pro Speaker-introduction; define terms; give opening argument 2. First Con Speaker-summarize opposing argument; give rebuttal; give your team's first argument 3. Second Pro Speaker-summarize previous Pro argument; rebut Con argument; give your team's second argument 4. Second Con Speaker-summarize debate points; rebut pro argument; give your team's second argument 5. Third Pro Speaker-summarize previous points; rebut Con arguments; conclude your team's arguments 6. Third Con Speaker-summarize previous points, rebut Pro Arguments; conclude your team's argument 321 You Are There It is 1917. The country is about to vote in an election. The main issue is whether the government should introduce conscription. If you were one of the people described here, what would be your opinion? Why would you feel that way? Write a letter to a newspaper explaining how you feel conscription would affect the war effort, national unity, English Canadians, French Canadians and recent immigrants. Mary Porter was an army nurse in France. She was wounded during an air raid and has been sent home to Vancouver. She has two brothers with the Canadian Army. Jack is hoping for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps. Ed had just been awarded a DSO (Distinguished Service Order) for saving the life of a companion, wounded while going over the top during the Battle of the Somme. Jack is engaged to Mary's best friend, Susan. Before she left for France, Mary was aware that Canadian regiments were not operating at full strength because there were not enough volunteers to replace those killed or wounded. André Savard's family have farmed on the shores of the St. Lawrence for nearly 300 years. He is one of nine children and has recently married. He and his wife are expecting a baby. When the war broke out, he did not even hear about it for over a month or so. He does not see how a war being fought over 5,000 km away can possible affect him. He knows that his cousin Pierre from Québec City has volunteered and is now a sergeant with the Royal 22nd Regiment. André, however, does not want to fight or kill people in a distant land. He is happy to let others fight if they believe in the cause. André sees his life in terms of his village, his farm and his family. Stefan Klemens brought his family to Saskatchewan in 1901. They came from Austria to escape the almost constant warfare. Now, Stefan farms the 64 ha of land given to him by the government when he arrived. He is married with six children. It has been a struggle to provide for his large family, but now they are doing well. Last year they harvested a good crop, and got a good price for it. He does not know how he would 122 WAR AND RECOGNITION manage without the help of his sons Kurt (22) and Hans (19). Last week, Greta (7) came home from school in tears because the kids called her a Hunky, it bothers Stefan that Canada is fighting a war against the land where his parents and siblings still live. Bill McAdam was born and raised in Nova Scotia. His family came here from Scotland over a hundred years ago, and he thinks of himself as a loyal son of Nova Scotia. When the war broke out, many of his friends volunteered to join the army. He is still under the age limit of 18 and has not decided whether he will volunteer or not. He sometimes wonders what Canadians are doing fighting a war in France. His neighbours, Charlie Armstrong and George Macdonald, have already been killed, and nobody knows if Robert Cormier will ever recover from that gas attack. Yet he considers himself a good Canadian and Canada is at war. He has a strong sense of duty. He wonders what would happen if people didn't join up. Shirley Evans lives in Hamilton and is the mother of three children —Karen (19), Timothy (16), and Daniel (9). Shirley does volunteer work for the Salvation Army. Her group serves refreshments to soldiers on the troop trains that pass through the city. Lately, they have helped tend the trainloads of wounded soldiers returning home. Karen's fiancé, Jim Lee from down the street, was killed in action at Vimy Ridge. The Evans family shares the grief with the Lees, who have lost their only son. Timothy had planned to join his father's automobile sales company, but he expects to be in uniform soon. Shirley hopes the war will end before he is old enough to fight. 8. How did women's roles change during the war? -emplars 30 ouB women - namen were vened a equai members a soners VO oll /ritt atl on -irs rin 9. Why did women win the right to vote? S 10. Who is Arthur Currie? - prtessiont thining - unconventiona miniang to waviar 11. Who is Robert Borden? 12. What are the soldiers of the soil? 13. What was conscription and how did it impact Canada? How did Canada impact the outcome of WWl and how was Canada impacted by the war? Explain.