article_snippet: Edward added: 'the French Canadians really aren't worth all the trouble I've taken to be out of the way polite to the French Canadians, as the French Canadians are shirkers in everything particularly in war as they all voted against conscription.'
article_snippet: The First World War divided Canada, with the French-speaking population accused of not doing enough to fight against the Germans.
article_snippet: Edward said the French Canadians 'really aren't worth all the trouble' as the French Canadians ' are 'shirkers, particularly war as the French Canadians ' voted against conscription' - Edward is pictured here in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1919 .
article_snippet: the French Canadians ' are a major North American ethnic group and Canadian citizens derived from the descendants of colonists from France who arrived in New France (Canada) in the 17th and 18th centuries.
article_snippet: When war was declared in 1914, Canada automatically entered as it was part of the British Empire.
article_snippet: But by 1917 the French Canadians ' only made up 21,000 out of 432,000 men, despite making up one third of the Canadian population.
article_snippet: the French Canadians ' opposed conscription as the French Canadians ' felt that the French Canadians ' had no real loyalty to either Britain or France.
highlights_snippet: Derided French Canadians 'rotten' for being 'shirkers' in not supporting British Empire in WW1 .
  
highlights_snippet: WW1 divided Canada, with French-speakers accused of not doing enough .
  