a subject which at the present time perhaps more than at any other engrosses and absorbs the minds of all thinking men. ["Hear! Hear!"] During the few days in which my colleagues and myself have had the privilege to be in England, we have had hourly evidences that the colonies at the present moment occupied no small part in the affections of the people of England. [Cheers.] Sir, colonies were born to become nations. In my own country, and perhaps also in England, it has been observed that Canada has a population which in some instances exceeds, in many others, rivals the populations of independent nations, and it has been said that perhaps the time might come when Canada might become a nation of itself. My answer is this simply: Canada is a nation. [Cheers.] Canada is free, and freedom is its nationality. Although Canada acknowledges the suzerainty of a Sovereign Power, I am here to say that independence can give us no more rights than we have at present. ["Hear! Hear!"]

Lord Lansdowne has spoken of a day when perhaps our Empire might be in danger. England has proved at all times that she can fight her own battles, but if a day were ever to come when England was in danger, let the bugle sound, let the fires be lit, on the hills and in all parts of the colonies, though we might not be able to do much, whatever we can do shall be done by the colonies to help her. [Cheers.] From all parts of this country since I have been here, both in conversation and in letters, I have been asked if the sentiments of the French population of Canada were characterized by absolute loyalty toward the British Empire. I have been reminded that feuds of race are long and hard to die, and that the feuds of Francethe land of my ancestors-with England have lasted during many generations. Let me say at once that though it be true that the wars of France and England have their place in history, it was the privilege of the men of our generation to see the banners of France and England entwined together victoriously on the banks of the Alma, on the heights of Inkerman, and on the walls of Sebastopol. [Cheers.]

It is true that during the last century and the century before, a long war, a long duel, I might call it, was waged between England and France for the possession of North America, but in

the last battle that took place on the plains of Abraham, both generals, the one who won and the one who failed, fell. If you go to the city of Quebec, you will see a monument erected in commemoration of that battle. What is the character of that monument? Monuments to record victories are not scarce in England or in France; but such a monument as this which is in Quebec, I do not think you will find in any other part of the world, for it is a monument not only to him who won but also to him who failed. [Cheers.] It is a monument dedicated to the memory of Wolfe and Montcalm, and the dedication, which is one of the noblest and best of the kind, not only for the sentiments which it records but also as a literary expression, is as follows: "Mortem virtus communem famam historia monumentum posteritas dedit." Here is a monument to the two races equal in fame, courage, and glory, and that equality exists at the present time in Canada. In this you have the sentiments of my countrymen-we are equal to-day with those who won on the battlefield on the plains of Abraham. It is by such acts that England has won the hearts of my fellow countrymen; it is by such acts that she can ever claim our loyalty.

Your Royal Highness, let me now thank you from the bottom of my heart for the kind words you have just spoken. Your Royal Highness has been kind enough to remind us that at one time in its earlier day you visited Canada. Many changes have taken place since that time, but let me assure your Royal Highness there has been no change in the loyalty of the people of Canada. [Cheers.]

FRANK R. LAWRENCE

AN INTRODUCTION

Mr. Lawrence, as president of the Lotos Club for many years, presided at its banquets, and introduced its guests of honor with great felicity. A number of these brief speeches (see Index) are included in the introductions to the speeches in Volumes I-III. We print here as a model of its kind a speech of introduction delivered before the Lotos Club, November 27, 1915, on the occasion of the dinner in honor of John J. Carty, perfector of the Wireless Telephone System, who had arranged for a remarkable demonstration of wireless telephony at the dinner.

My voice to-night is like the voice of a child, for I have little more comprehension than the youngest infant of the causes of the wonders which are to be unfolded to us, or the processes by which they are made possible. To-night we turn aside to greet a man of science, and we congratulate ourselves that he is a member of the Lotos Club. Though he can have little time for idle daydreams as his life is made up of solid achievements. Was there ever such a wonderful age as this in which we are privileged to live? We know of none; we have no record of any, and we can imagine none. In our youth we read stories of the Arabian Nights and were filled with amazement. Yet so rapid has been the progress of the world that I could name half-a-dozen members of this Club the career of any one of whom has been such as to make the wildest tales of fiction tame and commonplace. Among modern sciences there is none more fascinating than the science of telephony-a science discovered and perfected in our own time, during our own life, and in the main by men of our own people.

As long as it kept within modest limits we thought we could comprehend it. To transmit speech over a wire from one room to the next, and possibly one town to the next town did not