Burned Bridges

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.