whole or a portion of each year. Such minister would be regularly summoned to all meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence and be regarded as one of its permanent members. No important step in foreign policy would be undertaken without consultation with such representative of Canada. This means a very marked advance both from our standpoint and from that of the United Kingdom. It would give us the opportunity of consultation and therefore influ- ence which hitherto we have not possessed."
In opposition to the Government proposals, Sir Wilfrid Laurier on Dec. 12 moved an amendment which, while not negativing the first clause of the Government resolution providing for a vote for increasing the effective naval forces of the Empire, would have substituted for the remaining clauses a resolution declaring it necessary that Canada without further delay should enter active- ly upon a permanent policy of naval defence, and that any measure of aid to Imperial naval defence which did not embody a permanent policy of participation by ships owned, manned and maintained by Canada, was not an adequate expression of the aspirations of the Canadian people. Mr. Borden, said Sir Wilfrid, had asserted that before she enacted a permanent policy Canada must have a voice in all questions affecting war or peace. But that was a large contract, and the question before them was that of emergency and immediate defence. If Canada was represented in the councils of war and peace, the other dominions and depend- encies must be also. That question might take years to solve. It must be discussed by itself, and in the meantime Canada should continue in her preparations for defence. Sir Wilfrid Laurier condemned the Government's policy of direct contribu- tion as un-Canadian and un-British, and as unsuited to the real needs. But his influence was no longer in the ascendant.
Owing to the outbreak of the World War in 1914, all these pre-war plans were eventually upset, and the war created an entirely new situation.
Canada in the World War. In the early months of 1914 Canada, for practical purposes, had no army. There was a per- manent force of about 3,000 men, with no reserve; its purpose was partly to provide garrisons for a few fortresses, and partly to train the militia. The latter was a lightly trained force, rather well organized for a defensive war on its own soil. The number trained in 1913 was about 60,000. In the late summer and early autumn of 1914 the ist Canadian Div. of 33,000 men was raised and sent across the Atlantic. It left Gaspe Bay on Oct. 3, and, after nearly three months of additional training in England, landed in France, at St. Nazaire, on Feb. n 1915. The 2nd Div. was formed immediately and landed in France on Sept. 14, when the Canadian Army Corps was formed. The formation of the 3rd Div. was authorized just before Christmas 1915, and the division was in France early in 1916. The 4th Div. joined the Canadian Corps in the middle of Aug. 1916. The Canadian Cavalry Brigade appeared in France in 1915. After the com- pletion of the Canadian Army Corps the policy of the Dominion was to maintain a comparatively small number of divisions, but always to keep these at full strength, in order that the troops might have the encouragement of full ranks. Until the winter of 1917-8 the Canadian Expeditionary Force was recruited by voluntary enlistment. During the winter the Military Service Act came into operation, and after that time 83,355 recruits were obtained. These were partly men who were drafted and partly men, in the classes called out, who reported voluntarily.
The total number of men enlisted in Canada from the begin- ning of the war to Nov. 15 1918 was 595,441. The details are:
Obtained by voluntary enlistment
Drafted or reporting voluntarily after the Military Service
Act came into force Granted leave or discharged Overseas Service other than C E.F :
Royal Air Force
Imperial Motor Transport
Inland Water Transport
Naval Service
Jewish Palestine Draft
465,984
E.F
12
4
2
,902 710 ,701 814
42
83,355 24,933
21,169
595
,441
The distribution of these men was as follows:
C.E.F. proceeded overseas 418,052
Enlisted for Royal Air Force, etc 21,169
On the strength of C.E.F. in Canada and St. Lucia, including those under training as overseas reenforce- ments, Siberian Expeditionary Force, Canadian Garrison Regiment, Military Police Corps, Medical and Adminis- trative Services, etc 36,533
On harvest leave without pay . . . . _ . . 15,405 Granted leave of absence without pay as compassionate
and hardship cases 7, 216
Number discharged in Canada who had not proceeded over- seas for the following among other reasons : as below medi- cal standard, absentees, aliens, to accept commissions, deaths, on transfer to British army and Royal Air Force 95,306 Included in enlistment returns for whom discharge docu- ments have not been received, or in some cases duplicate enlistments. This number is being adjusted as further records are received 1 ,760
595,441
In addition to the above, 14,590 British and Allied reservists went from Canada to rejoin the colours in their own countries. The movement overseas by years was as follows:
Before Dec. 31 1914 30,999
Calendar year 1915 84,334
1916 165,553
" 1917 63,536
Jan. I to Nov. 15 1918 . . . . . . . . 73,630
On Sept. 30 1918 about 160,000 men were in France and about 116,000 men in England.
The total Canadian casualties up to and including Feb. 28 1921 were 210,096:
Other
Officers ranks Total
Killed in action and died of wounds 2,595 49,079 51,674 Died of other causes .... 297 4,663 4,960
Wounded 6,347 143,3*5 149,732
Prisoners of war .... 236 3,493 3,7 2 9
Still missing I I
Died in Canada
Died in Siberia
Wounded in Siberia .... Deaths in Canada on the strength of the Soldiers' Reestablishment
9,475 200,621 210,096
3,569
i 18 19
i i
2,005
The honours gained by the Canadian forces included 62 V. C.'s, 710 D.S.O.'s and 2,885 M.C.'s.
The following summary gives only the more notable engage- ments in which the Canadian troops fought. The Canadian Army Corps in four divisions, forming part of the I. British Army under Sir Julian (later Lord) Byng, was commanded by Lt.- Gen. Sir Arthur Currie. In 1915 the ist Division greatly dis- tinguished itself in the second battle of Ypres on April 22, and again at Festubert and Givenchy in May and June. In 1916 the Canadians, now forming three divisions, were very heavily en- gaged at St. Eloi in April, and at Sanctuary Wood and Hooge in June. In Sept., Oct., and Nov. the four Canadian divisions fought in the battle of the Somme, especially distinguishing them- selves at Courcelette, Mouquet Farm, and the Kenora, Regina and Desire trenches. In 1917 the Canadian troops bore the largest part in the taking of Vimy Ridge (April 9) and of Arleux and Fresnoy (April 28 and May 3), and fought with great success in the advance on Lens and the taking of Hill 70 in August. They were again heavily engaged in the fighting round Passchendaele in Oct. and Nov., capturing all their objectives in spite of severe losses. In 1918 the Canadian cavalry, motor machine-guns, and railway troops were active in the resistance to the German advance in March. The Canadian Corps was in the centre of the British front in the second battle of Amiens, Aug. 8-17, advancing 14,000 yd. on the first day, the deepest advance made in one day during the war. In the battle of Arras, at the beginning of Sept., the Canadians played an important part in the breaking of the Quean t-Drocourt line, a part of the Hindenburg system. The Canadian casualties in these two actions were serious, but less than the number of prisoners taken. In the battle of Cambrai, which began on Sept. 27, the Canadians on Oct. 9, after heavy
