Evening star., 1902-02-22
INVASION OF CANADA
INVESTMENT OF AMERICAN CAPI
TAI IN THE DOMINION.
Not Viewed With Alarm by Our Neigh
bors Across the Northern
Border.

From the Toronto (Ont., Mail and Empire.
In some quarters in this country feel
ing of apprehension has been engendered
in consequence Of the recent investment
of large sums of American capital In Ca
madam enterprises. 1t would not De dlfn-
cult to estimate the amount or American
money that has been thus invested. for no
secret has been made OF the details at
tending the exploitation OF Canada's vast
resources. The steel and coal Of Nova
Scotia Is being put on the market largely
through the enterprise OF capitalists IN
New York and Boston, and at the Sauit
one of the biggest steel works in the world
has been established mainly through the
instrumentality Of American investors. The
sale of the Canada Atlantic railway to an
American syndicate has been announced as
practically completed ana IN many otner
ENTERPRISES In this country the moneyed
men of the republic have the controlling
interest.
Opening New Country.
They have become fully informed re-
specting our vast undeveloped wealth and
cannot find a more tempting field for in
vestmant. But why should we be appre-
hensive? No new country can be opened
up without getting capital from abroad.
and we must regard American money as
being as good as any other The American
has st topped in where the Englishman has
been rather afraid to tread. and the result
is degree of commercial ana industrial
activity that has hardly been .equaled here
tofore. and from which our, own people
are reaping the largest dement's II IS
significant circumstance that some or tne
great concerns that have been brought into
being here by our neighbors are coming
under Canadian control. and the American
interest may soon be entirely eliminated
But a circumstance of greater significance
is found when We glance abroad and ma
that Canadians are often among the pio-
neers in exploiting other countries. Cuba
has proved to be an attractive field; Brazil
another, and in various places in the United
States Canadians have done more than the
local capitalists In successfully establishing
new enterprises. In thus going abroad
with their money they cannot be charged
with lacking confidence in their own coun-
try Capital does not recognize fnterna-
tional boundaries, and there is no more rea-
son for objecting to the Canadian going
abroad than to the American coming here,
except in a case like that of Mr.. Dryden,
where our minister of agriculture becomes
a Dakota ranchman.
Not Conquest.
We refuse to believe that In getting Amer
leans to take SO large share In the de-
velopment Of this country we are merely
paving the way for a generation to come
that will parcel out our provinces as states
of the Union. Rather will we share the
view attributed to one of the shrewdest
and ablest Of American public men. the
late Secretary Seward, and expressed as
follows: Having Its Atlantic seaport at
Halifax and its Pacific depot near Van
couver Island, British America would in
evitably draw to 1t the commerce of Eu-
| rope, Asia and the United States. Thus.
from a mere colonial dependency 1t would
assume a controlling rank in the world. To
her other nations would be tributary. and
in vain would the United States attempt to
be her rival"
Canadians are carving out their own des-
tiny in way that makes the pessimist
practically an unknown quantity In the
land. To be sure, we have our troubles,
mistakes In government and administra-
ton, misshapen policy and extravagances
and corruption in high places. but on the
national horizon cloud appears that
should cause foreboding Let capital come
from any and every quarter. and let all
the world know how grand a heritage we
have The fulfillment Of Mr.. Stewards pre-
diction would not then be far distant, but
the flag under whose aegis 1t is now our
privilege to live would remain