f
premature commitment is much greater than that of more cautious policy,
proving a stumbling block in the way of future progress."

Moreover, the most vital factors of reconstruction in Canada will
affect more particularly the Prairie Provinces. The back-to-the-land
movement, demobilization, settlement of returned soldiers on the farm,
intensive immigration policy, extensive agricultural production are
indeed Western problems.

The choice of the Hon. J. A. Calder of Saskatchewan, as chairman of the
Reconstruction Committee in the Federal Cabinet; the prominent part
given to him and to the Hon. Mr. Meighen of Manitoba, in the formation
and discussion of plans at the recent meeting of the Premiers of the
Provinces; these are in themselves striking illustrations of our
contention in the matter.

Although the West will, in the period of reconstruction command the
attention of the country at large, there are, nevertheless, problems,
particularly those affecting our social and economic life, which will
weigh heavily on our Eastern Provinces. So reconstruction will be a
nation-wide work.

_The Duty of Catholics_

What is, therefore, the duty of Catholics, at the present hour? Are we
to fold our arms and let others rebuild the very framework of society
according to plans which our faith, reason, and history disapprove of,
and very often condemn? Our ideas in the matter may not prevail, but
how would we be justified in deploring the consequences of a
legislation which we did not even try, by our influence, to suppress or
modify? To abstain as Catholics from this great work of reconstruction
is profoundly un-Catholic. It is the act of a traitor to the Church
and country. As Burke so gloriously said: he was aware that the age is
not all we wish, but he was sure that the only means to check its
degeneracy was heartily to concur in whatever is best in our time.

The Church depends upon her children to spread the beneficial influence
of her social doctrines. "The great work of the Catholics, after the
war, will be," said Father McNabb, O.P., "to bring the vision of the
Bride of Christ, the Catholic Church, before the millions of our
countrymen." "These countrymen of ours are blind and often bigoted,"
adds Henry Somerville.

There are Catholics who make this blindness and consequent bigotry an
excuse for their own narrowness and selfishness, for their neglect to
share in the nation's work, for their refusal to co-