Throughout May it became clear that Italy would soon be joining the war. Until late May 1915, Italy had been neutral, but it gradually became clear that Italy could not avoid the war. By early May, the citizens in Rome knew it was only a matter of days until they either declared war or had war declared against them.
“Italy on the Brink of War,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, May 11, 1915.
Theodore Hotacker was a young German man who had come to Canada to learn farming techniques and was also working as a clerk at the Merchant Bank. Unfortunately, his new farm clothes caused him to receive suspicious looks on King Street as the cut of the suit was similar to that of a German soldier and was tucked into black boots. He caught the attention of Chief of Police O’Neill, who asked to speak with him privately. After learning that Hotacker wanted to become a Canadian citizen and had not realized the similarities between the suit he had made for farm work and a German soldier’s uniform, O’Neill advised Hotacker to only wear the suit on the farm, to which Hotacker agreed. This incident, despite the tensions between those of German heritage and non-German heritage, was depicted as a simple misunderstanding and is favourable towards Hotacker’s character.
“Outfit was too German,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, May 12, 1915.
The federal government’s plans for the distribution of pensions to soldiers and their dependents were not well developed in the early years of the war. Private insurance companies were also wary about getting involved in this type of venture, as they lacked a clear understanding of the extent of the risk. This left many women at home with uncertainty about how they would get by should their husband be disabled or killed overseas, especially if they were raising children. Some municipalities decided to take such matters into their own hands and make sure that everyone was cared for at a very local level. On May 5, 1915, the town of Stratford in the neighbouring county of Perth voted to create a debenture fund of $10,000 out of the town’s budget in order to aid the families of men who had enlisted, should assistance be needed. The vote was unanimous, and speaks to the strong sense of duty locals felt towards those who were personally sacrificing for the war effort.
Waterloo Chronicle, May 13, 1915.
Prisoners of war were able to receive mail parcels not exceeding eleven pounds and to the knowledge of the Post Office Department in Ottawa, there was no restrictions on parcel content and tobacco could be sent duty-free. Instructions on how to communicate with a Canadian prisoner were given to Canadian citizens from the Post Office Department through newspapers. These instructions claimed that content within letters should only contain local and family news and business information if needed. There would be no paid postage, letters were to be left open, and any mention of military, naval, or political information would cause the package not to be delivered. Letters were also to never be placed within a parcel and no newspapers, under any circumstances, were to be sent. While it was preferable to send postcards, if a letter was being sent, it should not exceed two sides of a piece of note paper. Money could be sent as well; while sending actual bills was not recommended, an arrangement could be made with the post master for a remittance. Finally, there was no guarantee of delivery to or from a Canadian prisoner of war.
Letters were to be addressed as:
Rank, initials, name
Regiment or Unit
Canadian Prisoner of War
Place of Internment
Germany
“May write to War Prisoners,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, May 19, 1915.
“Re Correspondence for Prisoners of War in Germany,” Elmira Signet, June 3, 1915.
At a meeting on May 12, the German club “Concordia” decided to close its club house due to anti-German sentiments. The Berliner Journal stated explicitly that this action was “voluntary”.
(“Bei einer Sitzung” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915)
On May 19, the Berliner Journal reported that a newspaper in Toronto had published a dispatch from Galt which stated that German citizens in Berlin had celebrated the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. The editors made it clear that this information was only a rumour and was harming the image of the city. They hoped that the responsible persons in Galt would publicly disclaim the truth of their dispatch.
(“Verleumdung der Stadt Berlin” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915)
As foreigners did not have to get registered up to that point in Berlin and Waterloo, suspicion grew that “hostile aliens” were hidden in the region. Therefore, several citizens asked the city council to establish a registration office, registering persons who would bring Berlin into disrepute.
(“Fremden-Registration in Berlin” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915)
After the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, the Berliner Journal reported an increasing number of anti-German incidents. Several times Germans were arrested due to their ethnic origin as they were suspected of spying. For example, a German bank employee in Berlin was arrested because his suit looked like a German uniform. In Toronto, a promotional sign for a beer brewed in Berlin, Ontario, had to be taken down due to the name Berlin. Even though the sign showed the British flag and said “Made in Canada”, the Toronto city council prohibited the use of the advertisement.
On May 19, the editors published another article regarding anti-German sentiment. The article sympathized with the emotional reactions of the Canadians, stating that the sinking of a German ship would have caused just as much outrage among Germans. Furthermore they praised the Canadian government for intervening in violent actions against the German population. The article encouraged Germans to stay quiet and refrain from patriotic statements in order to show their loyalty and remain safe.
(“In Preston” Berliner Journal, 12 May 1915; “Ein junger angestellter Deutscher” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915; “Protest gegen deutsche Bieranzeige” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915; „Unsere Stellung im Lande unserer Wahl“ Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915)
Although Canada’s Imperial Munitions Board was not formed until later in 1915, munitions manufacturing was still a booming business in Canada throughout 1915 as demand for shells and ammunition soared. Throughout late spring and early summer, several communities in the Waterloo Region contemplated the possibility of munitions manufacturing.
One of the earliest to do so was Ayr, whose local board of trade considered the possibility of manufacturing shells. It was proposed that the John Watson Manufacturing Company, a company which had previously made agricultural tools, repurpose its local plant to manufacture high explosive shells.
At the time, munitions contracts were given to any firm which could reliably manufacture munitions to accepted standards. While the initial investment would be steep (at least $12,000), proponents of the idea argued that, with the near guarantee of a contract and the current margins on shell manufacturing, installation costs would be offset by the first order of shells.
(“To Make Shells Here?” Ayr News, 20 May 1915.)
On May 20, Canada was requested to provide seven new battalions and several artillery brigades which would amount to an increase of 10 000 men. This would be added to those in training and the estimated 60 000 Canadian troops already overseas.
Around the same time, it was estimated that there were 250 000 men in Canada who had received military training at some point and were still under the age of 45. The response to the call for more troops was successful, and the order for 10 000 more men was filled promptly.
Three weeks later, on June 9, Minister of Militia, Sam Hughes called for another 35 000 troops. This meant that the Canadian Army’s forces would be increased to a total of 150 000.
(“Ten Thousand More Troops,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 21 May 1915.; “K. of C. Urge Men to Enlist,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 25 May 1915.; “Large Force Can Be Raised,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 2 June 1915; “Hughes Wants 35,000,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 9 June 1915.
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Minister of Militia Sam Hughes