Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-17
Feeling In Canadian Metropo-
lis Against Reciprocity
Treaty, Is Strong
OUR FRIENDS AT HEART
Officially, Everybody is Against the
United States. But Beneath the Sur.
face There Exists Much Good Will
for That Republic-Need of Tariff
Readjustment is Being Recognized.

Ottawa, ont, Aug. li.-lrue 10 east
ern Canada's way of looking askance
ut everything that tends toward better
trade relations with the United States.
Montreal is quick TO assume that there
Will be 20 meeting of the high joint
the wish with her is father of the
thought. Her attitude represents that
of a large and influential section of the
dominion, and must therefore be taken
into account. The feeling that Canada
ought to wait before entering into a
reciprocity treaty with the United
States, until after the settlement of the
Alaskan boundary dispue, finds good
deal of emphasis in the metropolis.
Prominent men there claim that she
will wait, and that the policy of the
Laurier administration is to defer ac-
to prevent a severance of the exist
ing good relations.
Canada fears that she is to get the
worst of the boundary dispute. Re-
Gently a report was circulated that the
chairman of the English commission
to settle the Alaskan dispute had said
openly that he would decide in favor OF
the United States. The report stirred
up much adverse criticism and finally
the gentleman in question felt called
upon to deny that he ever made such
a statement, and to assert that he pro-
posed to decide upon the merits of the
case, as disclosed thru the testimony
Notwithstanding that denial, however,
there is a feeling in Canada that Great
Britain, so far as the boundary is con-
cerned, is more friendly to the United
States than to her: and the better un
derstanding between the two greas
powers. that has grown up since the
beginning of the Mckinley administra-
ton. is cited in proof. Sir Wilfrid
Laurier has been urged by number OF
leading citizens not to consent to re-
converting of the high joint commission
until the boundary question Is out of
the way. He has made no reply but
anti-reciprocity interests expect him
to be influenced by what they have
said.
Obviously. should Canada get the
short end of the boundary pole. the
anti-reciprocity people would insist
that the high joint commission be not
recouvened."
1t is pointed out here, also, as tending
to show in part the prejudice of Eng
land against Canada in this matter,
that Edward Blake, for many years g
h,1t
duSing more recent years a resident of
England, and a member of the imperial
parliament, has resigned his position as
a member of the Alaskan commission.
The exact reason for the resignation is
not stated, but it is assumed that he
became convinced that it was the in
tention of the commission to determine
the dispute In favor of the United
States, and he did not want to be
member of a body that had reached
such a conclusion in advance of the
formal hearing. Mr.. Blake is referred
to as a Canadian patriot and 1t is
claimed that he certainly would have
remained member of of the commits
sion had he felt that by doing so he
could have been of assistance to Cam
ada.
I relate these stories that readers
may see that eastern Canada is not our
friend commercially. and that if reci-
procity is accomplished it will be with
out any thanks to her.
Everybody. Officially, is against the
United States, but beneath the surface
there is much good will for the great
republic, coupled with the desire to
secure better trading arrangements
with it. But at the same time the best
friends we have In this country, are
now saying that the time is at hand
when there must be more satisfactory
trade relations or complete abandon-
ment of all efforts to secure them. to
be followed by n tariff wall as high as
our own. The existing trade condi-
lions, 1t is pointed out, We're the pro-
duct of an earlier day. when neither
country was as populous or as pros
perous as now. New conditions have
arisen from larger population ana
greater wealth, and have been accentu-
ated by improved means of comnunt-
cation. What was satisfactory score
Of Years ago is unsatisfactory now, ana
80 the demand comes for a readjust-
n,ent of the system of tariffs with
view to lowering or raising, according
to the point of view or the politics o.
the person speaking.