In any case, American tradition explicitly postulated that what
occurred in Europe was not, could not, be vital to Americans. But in the
last test blood proves thicker than water. Sentimentally, the men
Thompson knew were pro-Ally. Only, in practice there was no apparent
reason why they should do otherwise than as they had been doing. And in
effect San Francisco only emulated her sister cities when she proceeded
about "business as usual"--just as in those early days, before the war
had bitten deep into their flesh and blood, British merchants flung that
slogan in the face of the enemy.
So that to Wes Thompson, concentrated upon his personal affairs, the war
never became more than something akin to a bad dream recalled at midday,
an unreal sort of thing. Something that indubitably existed without
making half the impression upon him that seeing a pedestrian mangled
under a street car made upon him during that summer. The war aroused his
interest, but left his emotions unstirred. There was nothing martial
about him. He dreamed no dreams of glory on the battlefield. He had
never thought of the British Empire as something to die for. The issue
was not clear to him, just as it failed to clarify itself to a great
many people in those days. The maiden aunts and all his early
environment had shut off the bigger vision that was sending a steady
stream of Canadian battalions overseas.
When the Battle of the Marne was past history and the opposing armies
had dug themselves in and the ghastly business of the trenches had
begun, Thompson was more than ever immersed in pursuit of the main
chance, for he was then engaged in organizing Summit Motors in
Vancouver. There had been a period when his optimism about his prospects
had suffered a relapse. He had half-expected that Canada's participation
in that devil's dance across the sea would spoil things commercially.
There had been a sort of temporary demoralization on both sides of the
line, at first. But that was presently adjusted. Through Tommy Ashe and
other sources he learned that business in Vancouver was actually looking
up because of the war.
He was a little surprised that Tommy was not off to the war. Tommy loved
his England. He was forever singing England's praises. England was
"home" to Tommy Ashe always. It was only a name to Thompson. And he
thought, when he thought about it at all, that if England's need was not
great enough to call her native-born, that the Allies must have the
situation well in hand; as the papers had a way of stating.
He had other fish to fry, himself, without rushing off to the front. As
a matter of fact he never consciously considered the question of going
to the front. That never occurred to him. When he did think of the war
he thought of it impersonally, as a busy man invariably does think of
matters which do not directly concern him.