LE DISCOURS DU PRINCE DE GALLES

Le 28 octobre 1919, à l'hôtel Viger, à Montréal, le Prince de Galles a prononcé un discours très commenté. A'ous en empruntons le texte ci'jlais à la Gazette du lendemain :

His Roj'al Highness expressed his thanks in English and in French

for the luncheon at which he liad been entertained and for the cordial way in which his health had been drunk.

Continuing, in English, he said :

"I should like to say, Mr. Major, that I .vas particularly touched bjone passage 'in the adclress with which j'ou welcomed me to Montréal yesterday — I mean the passage in which you referred to the mutual understanding between the English-speaking and French-speaking sections of the Canadian nation as a matter which I had verj' much at heart. You described very truly mj' feehngs in that respect. I had it much at heart when I fir-ït landed, and I hâve it, if possible, even more a% heart now that I hâve traversed Canada from coast to coast. The um'on of the two races in Canada was never a matter of mère political convenience. On the contrary, it was, and will always remain, an example of the highest political wisdom, for which the Empire owes an inestimable délit to Cartier, Macdonald and the other statesmen of ])oth races who brought it about.

"Much has been \ATitten and said about the success of the British Empire in establishing political union between peoples of différent race, language and history But when you corne to think of it, the political .unions established in Canada and South Africa, were only later examples of the political union between England and Scotland which brought ( Ircat Britain itself into existence as a political unit only two centuries ago. Till that time England and Scotland had been constantly and bitterly at war; since that time they hâve grown so close that we hâve ail forgottcn that they were cvcr scparatc peoples.

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"The union of England and Scotland has been in existence for two centuries : the union of British and French Canada has been in existence for Uttle more than haK a century — but who can doubt that the un'on in Canada will produce as great, as powerful and ae united a nation as the British nation itself ? No one can read Canadian history — much less can anyone travel in Canada as I hâve done in the last three months— without realizing that the spirit and genius of both races is closely interwoven throughout the great Dominion, not only in the East but in the West, where both races share the honors of the early explorers and pioneers.

"But what is the secret of the success of British polic}' in this respect ? I can see that the secret in Canada is jiist the same as in Great Britain. It b'es in freedom of speech, freedom of language, and mutual respect. Montréal, gentlemen, has many daims to admiration as the largest centre of business and population in Canada. I am deeply inipressed by ail I hâve seen hère, and I hâve been touched to the lieart by the wonderful welcome which INIontreal has given me. But what I value most in that welcome is that it has been given with equal warmth by citizens of both the great races which are united in Montréal. Your city has the great distinction of being in this respect typical of the union of races in the Dominion as a whole. I therefore value its welcome in a very spécial sensé, and I thank ail its citizens, British and French, rich and poor, young and old, from the bottom of my heart."

He concluded by repeating in the French language the closing sentences of his address.