he case of the average Westerner. The West is in its making and has
no past behind it. This fact alone can explain how easy the Western
mind is open to influences opposed to the spirit of our Canadian
institutions. It has no traditions, and traditions are the hidden
roots that plunge down into the soil of history, into the hearts of
past generations, and give to a people, its real national life.
Therefore, a "British reason," a reason founded on British traditions,
on the British way of doing things in the Colonies, may make a stronger
appeal to our Western mentality.

Freedom and fair play for every citizen within the Empire, the
recognition of racial and religious rights, have been the strength and
success of the British Government in its Colonial policy. (We
underline "colonial policy" for, we cannot say the same of England's
policy with Ireland--) We would quote here what a well known Western
public man wrote some years ago when, under the pen-name of "Daylight"
he discussed the "Separate School problem" in the columns of "The
Regina Leader," January 3rd, 1916.

"In conclusion there are one or two general remarks I should like to
make. It has always appeared to me that there is among our
English-speaking people of Canada a section of the community that holds
extreme views on all matters pertaining to nationality and religion.
This section holds and advocates the idea, that there must be no
compromise in dealing with matters pertaining to race and religion. In
a word, they would set about at once to "Prussianize" our complex
population. They forget, or entirely ignore, the fact that this is not
the British plan. If the British Empire is the glorious Empire it is
to-day is it not because of the fact that long ago the British
statesman and the British citizen have learned the lesson of tolerance?
To-day, Great Britain with its forty-five millions of people rules over
hundreds of millions of people of diverse nationalities and religious
faiths, and throughout the whole scheme of government and constitution
runs the idea of reasonable and just tolerance and compromise. Were
this not so the British Empire would quickly fall to pieces. Why then
should we not have more of this spirit in Canada, and particularly in
Western Canada? Some people are mightily concerned about our
foreign-born population. They imagine that the process of assimilation
can and should be accomplished in a day. Nothing is further from