The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-15
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WRITTEN FoR II SUNDAY RGFuBLtc.
Western Canada is rapidly filling up with
American settlers. In London they call il
the American invasion. The wonderful city
Of Winnipeg is becoming the Johannesburg
of the Canadian Transvaai. and public SEN
timent there is growing more American ev'
cry day.
The question presenting itself 10 the Brit
ish Government is. Are we to have another
South African problem nearer home-an
American invasion OF canada's Transvaai
10 end in annexation or war, or both?
Western Cuneda. the scene of this So
called American invasion, has am area as
large as the United States'east of the Mis-
sissippi. Winnipeg, a city of Chicago ener-
gy, H. the metropolis of the vast territory
stretching from Lake Winnipeg 20 ALASKA
on the west. 10 the Arctic Ocean on the
north and to Hudson Bay on the east. IL
embraces not only Il great empire OF the
finest wheat land in the world, but ii en-
braces the gold fields of British Columbia
all the plains, mountains and rivers and
lakes from the silver lodges OF Lake Sn-
perior and the magnetic iron ore of Hudson
Bay TO the gold-crested shores OF the Alas
kan seas.
II a majority vote rules, if it is Ameri-
can and for annexation, Engiand's only
safety will be in joining the, United States,
getting aboard Uncle Sans band wagon. TO
find rest and rich daughtersin-law under
the Stars and Stripes.
If this seems fanciful. look at the cold
facts behind it all. Not long ago Canada
discovered that 10 compete. with America
and develop her vast Northwest she must
have settlers. So she copied the United
States homestead laws and added conces-
sions and improvements. The plan worked
like magic. The country began TO swarm
with Americans hungry for land. They
brought their families and teams. selected
nOmeSte3ds and hogan farming
Result: A Transformation: the wilderness
turned into wheat fields; prairies dotted
with church spires. schools, towns and
Cities. Winnipeg has become Il city, and 1t
roars with business and traffic. Railways
can hardly be built fast enough TO carry
away the grain and handle the new traffic
that has come in n night. -
And il is chiefly American business
American machinery. American ideas. meth
DDS. enterprises. And now civilization war
whoop is heard from the whistles of thou
sands OF factories and locomotives. This
is why ttr. John Bull Is lying awake nights
and wondering if the boys are going to cap
ture the entire estate.
Now FOR facts and figures: The popula-
tiun Of Canada is less than 1000. 900. Yet the
report of the Customs Department shows
Canada's trade with foreign countries ex-
banding beyond precedent. For the last
fiscal year it was $1,000 .0Go-uearly double
the amount for 1880, which was the greatest
on record.
The United states.i is The, greatest gamer
by the increase England is the greatest
selling market and the United States the
sreatest purchasing market. despite which
the excess of trade with the United States
last year over Great Britain was s3s, SOC, 900
in our favor Imports from the United
States increased SIC. O0o.0N and exports 10
the United States 100000. Total export
and import trade Of Canada with the United
states reaches nearly one-halr the whole
foreign
In two years the wheat crop area of West
ern Canada was increased 100000 acres.
The amount is expected to be doubled in
the next two years because of the immi-
grafton boom" from the United States.
Thirty-siX years ago. when the Canadian