By Gregory Clark, February 27, 1915.
One-Fifth of Enrolment Will Possibly Enlist in Canadian Expeditionary Forces.
Sturdy Patriotism of President Falconer Largely Responsible for Splendid Showing.
Not more than three months ago a good many men were looking slant-eyed at the University of Toronto, sniffing and snouting excitedly, and demanding the instant pulverization, of three very inoffensive professors who were so unfortunate as to be of German blood. Some members of the University’s own governing board publicly denounced the gentle and humane way in which the three professors were side-tracked, and demanded that the president accord them the very treatment the abhorred Germans would have doled out had the incident been in a German town. The result of that whole affair left a very unpleasant regard for the University in a section of the public mind. Varsity was quietly labeled as a secret hotbed of sedition, whose staff was in sympathy with Germany.
Let those who have been so loud in condemnation of the president and his “half measures” turn an eye on Varsity to-day. So far, one hundred and eighty-six students who have already enlisted have been granted their year – that is, marked as having passed the examinations they would have been trying this coming April. Eighty-six of these are with the first contingent and are now somewhere in the fighting zone. One thousand eight hundred students are enrolled in the Varsity Officers’ Training Corps and are drilling and attending military lectures. Each day sees another batch of men applying at the registrar’s office for permission to go to the front. With the closing of the term in April and with the opening of a training camp outside the city exclusively for Varsity men, the number of students actually going to the front will be, according to the word of a man intimately identified with the military movement at Varsity, not two hundred, as it now is, but six hundred, which is one-fifth of the male attendance at Varsity.
A Patriotic Centre
For the fact is, despite the snuffings and snoutings aforesaid, which were mostly on the part of those who fancied they could discredit certain members of the governing board of Varsity for political reasons, the University is one of the most practically patriotic centres in Canada. There is a daily practice of patriotism in drills and in attendance on dry technical lectures on military topics. What other body of men – banks, factories, shops, foundries -would so unanimously devote its leisure to drilling? And the drilling has not ceased with the novelty of it.
The handling of the military movement at Varsity is a delicate job. In a body of young men in which there is fraternity, rivalry, and ambition, it is no easy matter for one man to see another don a uniform and depart amid applause. The wonder is, indeed, that when one Varsity man went, the whole establishment didn’t go! There are, therefore, many sensitive young men at Varsity to-day. How to make it easy for the students to go and yet not force them into going, how to maintain the proper display of patriotism without making several thousand sensitive young fellows feel that they are committed, is the big problem at Varsity, the man who is handling it, and handling it successfully, is President Falconer.
Difficulties Increased
The difficulties facing President Falconer were tremendously increased by the German professors affair. War-time and an uncertain public temper: a deficit of $80,000, to be paid by a publicly controlled Government: and three Germans to be disposed of with the assistance of a warring board of governors! Of course, we now admit that the president took the only course in keeping with British fair play. But starting with such a muddle, the whole situation at ‘Varsity has been easy matter to handle, and to have got 200 away already and the whole institution maintaining a natural pitch of patriotic spirit, is the neatly diplomatic and tactfully developed situation to the credit of President Falconer.
It is planned to open a training camp exclusively for Varsity men after the close of the year, in May. It will be somewhere outside the city, possibly at Long Branch or Niagara. It will be conducted by the Officers’ Training Corps under Col. Lang. As many as want to go to the front can then go, and, considering the need in the Imperial army of men not only trained as officers, but as engineers, surveyors, linguists. doctors, and all branches of education ‘Varsity will no doubt see her opportunity.
The Faculty of Medicine has done most in recruiting. The Medical College, by no means the largest college. has sent over 60 students and members of the teaching staff. Arts have not done so well, considering their numbers. But the Arts enlistments will no doubt be swelled by Victoria College, which has taken the greatest interest in the military movement. The opening of the training camp will without doubt see 600 recruits from ‘Varsity.
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