New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-22

needs The island is jeaIously guarded AGAINST the
intrusion of strangers and IL Is extremely diffcult
20 obtain from the governor" a permit TO land
there.
Menier has some other object in view besides the
mere exploitation Of the island for commerce. pur
poses or as 4 game preserve. whether he mas been
acting FOR the French government. as some be-
;rnpulse as others contend is not ascertainahle
now hut there is no DENYING that II war should
islsnd Of Anticosti. If in hostile hands could be
made very serious menace doF rro one ,b e hboT
ing Anglo-SaNon communities. ana peCpied with
a kindred element in Quebec Province near by.
Antccsti might be seized by France. fortlhed ana
converted into base from which the whole wa'e e
borne commerce Of Canada could be destroyed TOT
the island commands absolutely the Two ch,inneis
River. and with an efficient squadron Of cruisers
there the movement Of mercantile shipping "ouu
The6rejicaily. NJ Menier has no rights but those
when his alien nationality IS considered. togeth1er
6n a the the Rg 6n ffs b Ge DISPUTE ia NewfodHdand
has been upreared. It IS easy TO see that France
tious complication il She so desired She might
acquire Il by purchase or otherwIse' ana USE b,cb
would cripple Canada in naval conflict II che
arose besides possibly alternating Quebec from the
rest OF the Dominion
POSSIBLE UNITED STATES OCCUPATION.
But Canada is even more concerned over the
prospect Of the island passing into the hands OF
the United States for the danger to her would be
intensified thereby. in the opinion OF the section of
which
who intends TO annex her sooner or later. The
belief is widespread throughout the Dominion that
Alaska pl: chased to dominate Canada $ west
ern territory. that the Alaskan boundary dispute
was raised with the idea Of depTiVng her OF a
Yukon outlet and that Sitllan AMI kannaghunut
Islands We're secured in the recent arbitration in
order 10 destroy strategic advar tageS OF Port
dian Transcontinental Railway. Canada is now APP
lerehensiye Of a contention to the interna-
tional status Of Hudson Bay. she Is being urged
70 huy Greenland to prevent the United
States from making ii into a second Alaska and
dominating her seaboard, there Is talk or
the United States endeavoring to secure St Pierre
Miu.elon a g a coalng station. and now arises the
rossfhit OF Anticosti passing into American hands
The great advantage of possessing 1t would be
that for the seven or eight months each year that
the Gulf Of st. Lawrence Is open this island would
absolutely dominate the whole of the waters there
and with even Indifferent fortihcatiors could defy
the attacks Of al enemy. because there are no
landing Dlaces for large ships except at the two
1oirts where NJ Nenier has built breakwaters. and
these would Of course. be the first defended
The placing of modern ordnance on the island
would close the whole st. Lawrence River against
commercial traffic If these were hacked ny
a few warships. The prospect of such Things COM
Inc 70 mass arouses the keenest concern or the
C,sradiar pUhc: and while the contingency or war
may he remote there IS doubt that the Dolnln-
I,ensate NJ Nenier but that the Laurier Cabinet
fears to provoke possible friction with France
thereby Should he make an attempt 10 sen 10
Americans however there is little doubt that can
oSa would Intervene and recover possession or the
island at any cost fearing that Uncle sam II oEce
eygn rights thereto And Canadians now coneIude
that once arbitration begins they certain 10 De
losers though II IS difficult TO see how TINS cen
ciuSion IS reached.