The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-14
Some Mistakes About Canada


Post is caught with dust on its ideas.
But recent editorial article in that paper
takes the Detroit Free Press to task for
it's advocacy of closer and more liberal
trade relations between this country
and Canada, and therein betrays sum
dry indications that in common with
many other publications, it has failed
to keep in touch with Canadian con-
ditions
1t assumes that Detroit's special in
terest in Canadian trade is due to the
fact that she is border city The truth
is that Detroit has no greater interest
in our relations with Canada than that
which appertains to many of our inland
and coast cities, and that she actually
has less interest than many others. Our
trade relations with Canada are dis
tinctly national rather than local
matter
The Free Press declares for treaty
of mutual benefit The Post declares
that the mutual" element is lacking in
the Canadian attitude, and that she
desires to get much in return for little
or nothing, because she has little or
nothing to offer us in exchange for any
advantages she may obtain from us.
These ideas are quite wide of the mark,
In the first place, it cannot be said with
accuracy to-day that Canada is DESTROYS
of making reciprocity treaty with the
United States. There was a time when
she was quite anxious so to do; but that
time is past, and our Washington neigh
Dor does not seem to be alive to the fact.
To-day, Canada is too busy and too
prosperous to make such treaty mat
ter of any very important moment to
her. While she would, no doubt, willingly
become party to an arrangement which
would operate to her commercial and
industrial advantage, she has found
present conditions no impeachment to her
growth and progress, notwithstanding
the fact that the United States have
derived, and still derive, vastly more
benefit from them than she does.
The view that Canada has nothing to
offer US in exchange for freer entrance
to her markets is widely inaccurate.
She has much that we can use to great
advantage, and much that we really
need, now barred out quite as much to
our loss as to hers. We even have a
market for a portion Of her farm prod
ucts, even for beans and peas, onions
and potatoes. We imported last year
nearly $1,000, 900 worth Of these arti-
cles, some portion Of them coming from
Canada. She has much in lumber, in
metals, and in minerals which we can
use to great and profitable advantage
in our mills and factories. She has beef
that we want and wool that we can use.
1t is even doubtful whether Massachu-
setts would be hurt by freer entrance
of fish and Holsters, while the country
at large would be not little benefited.
The idea that Canada has nothing to
offer that we want in exchange for that
which we can give dates back to the
conditions of twenty years ago, but does
not apply to the conditions of to-day.
Canada has market to offer us, a
market for 500, 900 900 worth Of goods
beyond the SIPS, 900, 600 worth which she
now takes. The United States can well
afford to take their pay for some por-
ton of that possible trade in the shape
of the products of Canada's forests and
mines and fields. AS matters stand to-
day, trade relations upon broader lines
with our northern neighbor are quite as
much to our interest as to hers and any
attitude of commercial unf!fendliness
on our part toward Canada is only self
injury.