The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-02-19
AMERICANS IN CANADA.

Canada is a big country with q small
population says the Ottawa (Canada)
Citizen. The United States is a big coun-
try with a large population. Canada has
great natural resources and great tracts
of unoccupied fertile land. and very little
money to develop either. The United
States has large. land-hungry floating
population and immense capitalistic
trusts with money looking for paying In
vestments.
Europe is agitated at the prospect OF an
European countries have one reason TO
be perturbed at the possibilities of the
American "expansionist" movement, Ca
nada, IL seems to US, has a dozen. In the
immediate future there are two great
forces at work which are likely to exer-
else potent influences on the future of
Canada even within the present decade.
In the first place. nearly all the cheap fer
tile land in the United States has been
taken up. The hard and restless fringe OF
population which always leads the ad-
vance of settlement has reached the
Rocky Mountains. The Indications are
that they are turning northward into
our Northwest Over 5000 families came
across the border last year into the Do
mnion. The numbers will likely increase
rapidly. They are "A good class OF settlers
because. as rule, they are native Ameri-
cans, who have been forced to move on
by the tide OF foreign emigra tion for
which the name OF republic has irresisti-
BILE charms.
Secondly, there Is the invasion of Amer
ican capital The purchase of the Canada
Atlantic railway has attracted public at
tention to this and excited a mild panic
among easily agitated people, and news
papers, but the invasion has been I'm prog
ress smaller scale for several years
We have resources for development, the
Americans have the money to develop
them, and the result OF the contiguity of
these conditions on this continent is inev-
liable. In some quarters the government
is being blamed for not having forestall-
ed the New York Central capitalists by
buying up the Canada Atlantic. People
who talk of the Canadian government
practically entering the list TO head of
American capitalists, who may be after
this or that road do not realize the sit
uation. When IL is considered that the
revenue and expenditure of the govern
ment OF the Dominion of Canada Is only
about two-thirds of the revenue and ex-
penditures OF one city I'm the United |
States. the futility OF Canada trying to
Illustrate the invasion of American capi- |
tsEshould be apparent provided the cap
In wanting anything over here. These |
combines OF capital only deal with big |
things. We believe that In purchasing the |
Canada Atlantic they are after the con- |
troll OF the transportation of the great |
wheat harvest of the central portion OF |
the continent TO the seabosrd. IL this Is |
what they are after We do not believe IL |
Is In the power OF Canada TO Illustrate |
them. This IL quite aside from the ques- |
ton whether II would be a good thing to |
do so. III they feel like doing so they |
could take over the charter of the Geor- |
gian Bay canal and proceed with its
construction tomorrow without any seri- |
Gus difficulty as far as financing Il is
concerned.
Altogether the question is an immense
one. Is anything to be gained by Canada
assuming dog-in-the-manger policy
and obstructing the development by out
siders of a country which We have nei-
ther the population nor the capital TO de-
velop ourselves? Shall we place ourselves
In the position OF obstructing and re-
stricting the 'uitlander7' 10 those who
see danger In the prospective peaceful
invasion OF Canada by the Americans, and
there are many thoughtful men who do,
IL is In order to PROFOUND the question
"a TO what Canada can do 10 avert the
danger, admitting that IL does exist. We
believe that obstruction would be az fu-
tile as II would be useless and directly
injurious 10 Canada.
The experiences so far has been that
Americans who come here make good
citizens In fact we believe they are
among the best class of immigrants
Canada could have. As for the extension
OF capitalisuc interests into -Canads--we
need the capital and we need to- have our
resources developed Take the case OF
the Canada Atlantic; IL is stated that the
New York Central people will expend
10000 In improving the road and double
tracking II. That will he t5OC.0oo OF Amev-
ican money spent IN Canada.
IL does not follow that because large