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I feel it an honour to be associated with the preparation of this work and it has been a great pleasure to me to write my contribution to it. The main emphasis of the work of course does not rest on the historical introduction which it has been my part to prepare but on the glowing and heroic pages which recount the deeds of Canadian men on Canadian ships under the dangers and stress of maritime war, and the fine and unremitting effort made by those who have worked for the sea on the land so that the courage of our fighting men should not fail for lack of support. Canada owes a full recognition to the gallantry of the Naval Service, to the unflinching endurance and tranquil bravery of the Merchant Service and to the wise guidance from those in authority at Ottawa which has co-ordinated their efforts towards victory. There is a funded debt of gratitude to be carried down the years.

Yet even for such heroic pages it is fitting that the present scene should draw a fuller meaning by standing out against the background of the past. For every great nation the past is a part of the present. We can appreciate better the achievements of the hour when we realize that they spring from no sudden chance, no fortuitous gathering of elements but rest upon more than three centuries of previous achievement, shared by both our two great nations, in the fine exploits of maritime discovery and combat which are interwoven in the tapestry of our national history. To present these as a preface to the still more glorious achievements of to-day has been my aim in this undertaking.

McGill University

Montreal

January, 1944