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A4 FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015 THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR l THE SPEC.COM

The days of uncertainty are past. Thank Godwe have come down from the mountain oftemptation unscathed. We yearned for peaceand the prospect of peace through appease-ment a gentle, persuasive word seemedfair. With anyone but a Hitler, a Stalin or aMussolini, appeasement would have beenthe proper Christian course. At Munich,Britain gave Hitler the chance to show that hewas not the vile thing the world suspectedhim of being. The rape of Czechoslovakia,whose integrity he had guaranteed to respectfor twenty-ve years, and his attack on Po-land in violation of a ten year non-aggressionpact justied the worlds worst suspicions ofhim. Peace through appeasement of Hitlerhad become as out of the question as relief forthe people of the United States from gangsterdepredations would have been through thechumming up of Hoovers G men with Dill-inger and Capone. Because Germany hadpersisted in attacking Poland, an ally whichBritain and France had promised to defend, astate of war with Germany was declared byGreat Britain at 11:00 a.m., E.S.T., and byFrance at 5:00 p.m., E.S.T., yesterday, Sep-tember 3rd.

The Canadian government has declaredthat Canada will give the fullest measure ofco-operation to the Mother Country, andparliament has been called to ratify this dec-laration on Thursday next. The news wastaken calmly by the people of the Empire. Re-lief that the long uncertainty was over foundgeneral expression, and there is grim deter-mination to end Hitlers atrocities, no matterwhat the cost. All over Canada yesterday thearmouries were crowded with volunteersdesiring to enlist. It is said that already near-ly 100,000 men have been enrolled. Therehas been no undue excitement or confusion;nor will there be. Stocks of all commoditiesare plentiful and the government has an-nounced that neither hoarding nor proteer-ing will be countenanced. The best way inwhich Canadians can serve the great cause atthe moment is to carry on normally withtheir usual occupations and pursuits.

With Joab of old we say, Be of good cour-age and let us play the men for our people andfor the cities of our God, and the Lord dowhat seemeth Him good.

What the Hamilton Spectator had to say,bottom left corner of the page, on Sept. 4, 1939

DO YOUREMEMBER?Were you there? Did yourparents pass along whatthey were doing, wherethey were and what it waslike when the war came to Canada and theCommonwealth that day?If so, wed love to hear from you.Over the next six weeks, well be looking atkey moments of the Second World War andhow Hamilton and the world reacted. Eachweek, you can help us remember and relivethose moments by sending us stories,anecdotes, memories, even photos.Selected submissions will be published onFriday, May 8 in a special Hamilton Spectatorsection commemorating the end of theSecond World War.Please send your submissions toVE@thespec.com and jday@thespec.comNext week: The attack on Pearl Harbor

It Is War

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Survivors from the British liner SS Athenia are brought ashore from theNorwegian cargo ship MS Knute Nelson at Galway, Ireland, after their shipwas torpedoed without warning by a German submarine on Sept. 3, 1939,killing 118 passengers and crew.

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Non-commissionedofficers of theHamilton unitsmobilized in theCanadian ActiveService Forcetrained recruits whovolunteered to aidthe Empire whenthe call came. A Spectatorcameraman visitedEastwood park,where routinetraining wasaccelerated.

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A platoon of Polish cavalry troops rides to the plains of Eastern Prussia toawait the invading forces of Adolf Hitler.

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SALUTING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN EUROPE

PART 1 OF 6

It beginsMonday September 4, 1939:Britain and France declarewar on Germany

LETS REMEMBER, LETS REMINISCE,LETS SINGAND DANCE FORTHEM

We saluted them with style and with feeling 10 years ago.We want to do it one more time, for them.

AnniversaryVictory in Europe Gala Dinner and DanceMay 15, 2015, CanadianWarplane Heritage Museum

Call 905-679-4183, ext. 230

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