England, Canada and the Great WarDesjardins, L. G. (Louis Georges)
History
England, Canada and the Great War
Desjardins, L. G. (Louis Georges)
Great Britain -- Colonies -- Canada; Imperialism; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada
The FALSE friends of PEACE were those who falsely alleged that the
Allies were preventing it by their repeated declarations that their
principal war aim was to destroy, not only the German Empire, but also
the German race, thus wilfully and maliciously pretending that to battle
for the abolition of Teutonic militarism, weighing so heavily on all the
nations, was equal, in guilty knowledge, to fighting for an enemy's race
destruction.
The FALSE friends of PEACE were those who were ready to sanction, at any
time, a compromise between HEROIC and criminal war aims, which would
leave future generations to the tender mercies of a Sovereign Power
straining every nerve to dominate the world by the foulest means ever
devised.
The FALSE friends of PEACE were those whose daily effort was to
dishearten their countrymen from the noble and patriotic task they had
bravely undertaken with the strong will to accomplish it at all costs,
knowing, as they did, that it was a question of life or death for human
Civilization.
"Defeatists," as they are called, to mean the shameless supporters of
PEACE negotiations to be opened by the Allies acknowledging their defeat
and the victory of Germany, there were, and there are, in all the
"Allied" belligerent nations. No one need be too much surprised at the
hideous fact. In all countries, at all times, under the direst
circumstances, when it is most important, in very distressing hours,
that all be of one mind, of one heart, to save the nation's existence,
are to be found heartless, low minded, cowardly beings, ready to betray
their countrymen rather than stand the strain of their due share of
sacrifices, or, which is still far worse, for corrupt motives, to
deliver them over to the enemy.
"Defeatists" we have had, we have yet, in Canada, in the Province of
Quebec. Most happily, they are few and far between.
Imbued with the false notions he has so tenaciously ventilated
respecting Canada's participation in the war, it is no wonder that the
Nationalist leader was sure to be found at the head of the small group
of PACIFISTS, at almost any cost, mustered amongst the French
Canadians. A sower of prejudices, he was bound to watch with eagerness
the growing crop of ill-feelings he was fostering.
Those of us who oppose all, and any, participation by the Dominion in
the wars of the Empire, be they even so just, so honourable, so
necessary, under Mr. Bourassa's deplorable leadership, were naturally
supporters of any kind of "PACIFISM."
I will not classify the Nationalist leader and his dupes as
"_defeatists_," who were ready to accept peace as the consequence of
defeat. The real "_pacifists_," so far as it is possible to ascertain
their views, unable, consciously or not, to see any difference in the
respective responsibilities of the belligerents in opening the war,
consider that they are equally guilty in not closing it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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