nteered because they were quick to perceive that the existence of
their Empire was threatened by the action of the most formidable
nation-in-arms that the world had ever seen. They had been stirred by
the deepest emotion of a race--the love of country.

A site for a concentration camp was chosen at Valcartier, nestling among
the blue Laurentian hills, sixteen miles from Quebec, and convenient to
that point of embarkation. Within four days 6,000 men had arrived at
Valcartier; in another week there were 25,000 men. From centers all over
Canada troop trains, each carrying hundreds of embryo soldiers, sped
towards Valcartier and deposited their burdens on the miles of sidings
that had sprung up as though by magic.

The rapid evolution of that wild and wooded river valley into a model
military camp was a great tribute to the engineering skill and energy of
civilians who had never done the like before. One day an army of woodmen
were seen felling trees; the next day the stumps were torn out and the
hollows filled; on the third day long rows of tents in regular camp
formation covered the ground, and on the fourth day they were occupied
by civilian soldiers concentrated upon learning the rudiments of the art
and science of war.

Streets were laid out; miles of water pipes, sunk in machine-made
ditches, were connected to hundreds of taps and shower baths; electric
light was installed; three miles of rifle butts completed, and in two
weeks the camp was practically finished--the finest camp that the first
Canadians were destined to see. The building of Valcartier camp was
characteristic of the driving power, vision and genius of the Minister
of Militia, General Sir Sam Hughes.

Of the 33,000 men assembled at Valcartier, the great majority were
civilians without any previous training in warfare. About 7,000
Canadians had taken part in the South African war, fifteen years before,
and some of these, together with a few ex-regulars who had seen active
service, were formed into the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry.
Otherwise, with the exception of the 3,000 regulars that formed the
standing army of Canada, the men and most of the officers were amateurs.

It was therefore a feat that the Canadian people could well afford to be
proud of, that in the great crisis they were able, through their
aggressive Minister of Militia, not only to gather up these forces so
quickly but that they willingly and without delay converted their
indus