The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-10
CANADIAN AMERICAN RELATIONS

REVIEW. OF reviews. ...... ......l
The new statistics showing the trade of
the past fiscal year illustrate this de-
velopment in a striking manner. Thus,
our exports to Canada last year amounted
in round figures to s123,500,000. 1t has
been just six years since Canada began to
discriminate again us In favor Of Eng
land, and in that time our exports to the
Dominion have almost doubled, having in
creased from $65, 100000 to the present
volume. Our imports from Canada in the
recent fiscal year amounted to about $751;
000000 While this is the largest am cunt
we have ever purchased from Canada in
a single year, it Is not nearly as large as
it ought to be; and it Is desirable, both
for the Canadians and for ourselves, that
there should be a reader access to our
markets for some of the more important
Canadian products. The statement was
current last month that Sir Wilfrtd Lau-
rier would confer at some time in the
present month Of September with Ameri-
can members CT the joint high commits
sion, with a view. to- arranging for, an
early session Of that almost forgotten
body. Our own northwest is deliberately
working, for closer trade relations with
Canada; and now thai the Alaska bound
airy question has been referred to, a ,spe-
cially created tribunal 1t is hard to see
why anything important should stand in
the way Of a serious and good-tempered
effort to draft a mutually beneficial reel
procity treaty. One may venture to guess
that it will be a long time, indeed, before
Canada will get any practical results from,
the proposal to provide protective markets
for her products in Great Britain; but it
is among things easily possible that Can
ada will within asyear5or two find a great
outlet open to her products by virtue of
an arrangement with her nearest .neighbor
and her natural commercial partner.
The chambers of commerce of, the Brit
ish Empire held their fifth congress last
month at Montreal, under the presidency
of Lord Brassey and under the special
auspices of Lord Strathcona, who is Can
ada's chief representative in England. 1t
was natural that this body should in a
general way applaud the Chamberlain
idea of closer relations Of trade, as we'll as
Of defense, thruout the empire. But the
delegates from England were quick to re-
buke the petty Canadian jingoism that
clustered against the United States. Ev-
erybody in the world outside of the do
mtnion knows well enough that Canada
owes nineteen of her security, as we'll
as Of her prosperity, to the combined
strength and neighbor]iness of the United
States While nothing is so popular in
Canada nowadays as to say disagreeable
need not be taken very seriously. This
Canadian attitude is more like the Sec
tional grumbling of the west against the
east, or Of the south against the north, in
our own country, than like the deeper an
tipathy Of really hostile peoples. If the
Canadians have shown themselves some
what resentful and petulant in their atti-
tude toward the United States, they have
had some excuse in the stupidity and
shortsightedness with which American
public men have as a rule dealt with all
questions involving our neighbors on the
north neighbors who were entitled from
every point Of view to the most careful
consideration and the most libreal treat
ment.