On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 13:37:28 +0900, Declan Murphy
<declan_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Raj Feridun wrote:
>> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 23:44:44 +0900, Declan Murphy
>> <declan_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote:
 
>>>Or that but for the grace of sepponia, Canadia's military would have 
>>>been overrun by Barbados or something. (Not that I'm saying it couldn't 
>>>be done of course. Its just an example. sheesh.)
 
>> If Canada did not in the least feel threatened by the potential
>> outcome of WWII why did they commit 37,000 lives to it's victory?

>At the time, because Canada (like Australia circa 1939) was part of the
>imperial defence arrangements. It wasn't a matter of feeling threatened.
>Had Britain informed Canada & Australia that it was re-opening
>hostilities against the whirling dervishes or some pygmies somewhere,
>then both nations would probably have sent troops (& ships)　in support.
>And in Australia's case, whether they were requested to or otherwise.

>Both nations entered the war within hours of notification of Britain's
>declaration. In Australia the Prime Minister of the day got a cable from
>London, and went straight to the radio to broadcast "It is my melancholy
>duty to inform you officially that in consequence of a persistence by
>Germany and her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon
>her and that, as a result, Australia is also at war. No harder task can
>fall to the lot of a democratic leader than to make such an
>announcement..." Interestingly enough, and despite the last sentence, he
>didn't even bother consulting (or informing) parliament or from what I
>gather, talking to his full cabinet. As above, it wasn't a case of
>feeling threatened, it was just the done thing. That Nazi Germany would
>prove to be a little more difficult to deal with than the whirling
>dervishes was not a consideration at the time.

It was a war well worth fighting and it's a damned good thing the good
guys won it. If not the Canadians would have been threatened and worse
no matter how they felt going into the war.

Raj