of existing British inter-arrangements may come
after the war will be done on instinct in view of circumstances that
cannot now be foreseen. Wherefore clamorers for this or that, their
favorite scheme, are now inopportunists. Hence they are neglected by the
public as unimpressive, futile wasters of breath or ink. Indeed Canada,
Great Britain, the whole race of mankind are now swept on the crest of a
huge wave of Fate. When it casts them ashore, recedes, leaves men to
consider what may best be done for the future, then will have come the
time to rearrange political fabrics, if need be. Then Sir Robert Borden
will probably continue in his often clearly specified opinion that
Canada, if remaining liable as now to be drawn into Great Britain's more
perilous wars--a liability which must ever urge Canada to strong
participation in order that the peril may be the sooner ended--ought to
have a share in controlling Great Britain's foreign policy. Which
sharing Mr. Asquith declared last year impracticable, in that sense
inadmissible.

Westminster must retain freedom to move, act, strike quickly. Her course
toward Germany had to be decided last August within a few hours.
Obviously her freedom, her power for promptitude would be hindered in
proportion to need for such consultation with and approval by councilors
of many distant countries as is presupposed by advocates of imperial
federation. Why establish control by cumbersome, superfluous machinery
when the war has made it clear as the sun at high noon that the
essential desideratum, British Union, exists now? All the notable
communities of the King's realms have demonstrated that they are in the
mind, the condition of a voluntary empire. What more can be desired
save by such as desire old country domination of all the concerned
countries, and who really long for a formal and subservient Empire?

Sir Richard Jebb, a deep student of the Empire problem, declared clearly
last November the meaning of that general voluntary British war union
which is a wonder of mankind, and in the course to teach a profound,
general political lesson. He wrote:

That the war will in any event change the external relations
is evident. But why, if we win, should it change the political
relations between the parts, except to the extent of
encouraging us to conserve and develop the existing system
which has given so signal an example of effective imperial
unity in time of n