“The men of Canada have responded nobly to the call to arms.  We have sent about 31,800 provincial troops, every one a volunteer, and we have that many more already enlisted if they are needed.  Our trouble is to equip them as fast as they enlist.

“In Canada we are turning our attention to agricultural pursuits.  Wheat is at a premium; a farmer can get from $1 to $1.10 per bushel in cash for wheat on his wagon.  All Europe will be in dire need of foodstuffs next year and for some years to come and we in Canada hope to profit by the opportunity.

“Economic conditions in the dominion received a terrible blow when the war came; we were shocked, staggered, and business has received a hard setback; finances are depressed.  The government has offered help to the banks, but they do not need it yet.

“We want immigrants in our country—­Germans or any other good, strong, virile nationality.  We have no quarrel with the German people.  We like them; they are used to a high standard of living and are the finest kind of citizens.

“To my mind, this war cannot be of long duration.  Germany, with all its preparedness, could not lay by stores enough to support 65,000, people for any great length of time when there is no raw material coming in.  The country will be starved out, if not beaten in the field, for I do not believe Germany can gain control of the high seas and cover the world with its merchantmen.”

INDIAN TROOPS CALLED FOR

The announcement by Lord Kitchener in the House of Commons late in August that native troops from India were to be summoned to the aid of the British army in France “came like a crash of thunder and revealed a grim determination to fight the struggle out to a successful finish.”

There was some talk in England of increasing the army by temporary conscription, but Premier Asquith declined to consider any such proposal.

In the House of Commons on September 9 a message was read from the Viceroy of India, which said that the rulers of the Indian native states, nearly 700 in number, had with one accord rallied to the defense of the empire with personal offers of services as well as the resources of their states.

Many of the native rulers of India also sent cables to King George offering him their entire military and financial resources, while the people of India by thousands offered to volunteer.

Conditions in India were indeed so satisfactory, from the British standpoint, that Premier Asquith was able to announce that two divisions (40,000) of British (white) soldiers were to be removed from India.

The aid that India could offer was not lightly to be considered.  The soldiery retained by the British and the rajahs, constituting India’s standing army, amount to about 400,000, not taking into consideration the reserves and the volunteers.  The rajahs maintain about 23, soldiers, who are named Imperial Service Troops, expressly for purposes of Imperial defense, and these have served in many wars.  They served with British, German, French, and United States troops in China from September, 1900, to August, 1901, and gained the highest laurels for efficiency and good conduct.