ainly stated--in
brief they were that on the details of its war management the
government could be, and, in their judgement, should be, beaten. But
Sir Wilfrid, with his hand on the country's pulse, could not be
stampeded. He saw, more clearly than his lieutenants, the danger to
the party of refusing an extension at that time. A twelve months was
added to the life of parliament with a reservation in the minds of
the Liberals that the first extension would be the last. This meant
an election in 1917.

THE NATIONALISTS AND ONTARIO

Mr. Bourassa was acutely conscious of the development of opinion in
Quebec favorable to the Liberals, and he sought to retain his hold
upon his following by the tactics which in the first place had given
him his following--by going to extremes and outbidding Laurier. The
chief article in the Nationalist creed was that Canada was
everywhere a bilingual country, French being on an equality with
English in all the provinces. This contention rested upon a
conglomeration of arguments, assertions, assumptions, inferences,
and it was backed by thinly disguised threats of political action.
The opposing contention that bilingualism had a legal basis only in
Quebec and in the Dominion parliament with its services and courts
was interpreted as an insult. Mr. Lavergne, the chief lieutenant of
Mr. Bourassa, was wont to wax furiously indignant over the
suggestion, as he put it, that he must "stay on the reservation" if
he was to enjoy the privileges that he held to be equally his in
whatever part of Canada he might find himself.

Events in Ontario put the test of reality to the Nationalist
theories. A feud broke out between the English-speaking and the
French-speaking Catholics over the language used for instruction in
separate schools where both languages were represented; and
resulting investigation revealed a state of affairs suggesting
something very like a conspiracy to minimize or even abolish the use
of English in all school areas where the French were in control.
Resulting regulations and legislation intended to put a stop to
these conditions gave French a definitely subordinate status. This
fired the heather, and later somewhat similar action by Manitoba
added fuel to the flames. The Nationalist agitation was resumed with
increased vehemence in Quebec; and the Ontario minority were
encouraged to defy the regulations by assurances that means would be
found to bring Ontario to time. In addition