The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-30
The Future Of Canada.

back.
The Future Of Canada.
Some one reviewing Archibald Col
quhoun's book entitled Greater
America" for the London Mail, writes
under the caption, Shall We Keep
Canada?" treating it as a serious
question in England. At the outset |
he refers to the friction which has
resulted from the summary dismissal
of Lord Dundonald by the Canadian
government from the command Of the
Canadian militia. The Canadian peo-
pie, as will be remembered, came to
the conclusion a short time ago that
they were quite able to furnish suf-
dctent talent to command their own
military forces without the importa-
ton of any gentuses Of that kind from
England, and dismissed Lord Dun
donald without much ceremony.
In this incident the writer in the
Mail sees looming up the question,
What is the future Of Canada?" "Is
Canada to remain within the empire,
or" as he says, SIS she to gravitate
to the United States? Or, again, is
| she to become an Independent state %
Mr.. Colquhoun holds, with Mr..
Chamberlain, that England LIS arriving
| at a parting of the ways with her
colonies, and particularly with Cana
| da, and that the fate Of the empire
must rest upon the attitude of the
mother country toward the colonies
commercially. The reviewer recounts
| the action of the mother country to-
ward her colonies In the matter Of
! trade and tariffs, and argues that self
interest should give distinct and tan
i gible advantages to the colonies as
against foreigners in the British mar
ket. He thinks this would have
very important and very beneficial
effect upon the future Of Canada and
that 1t would tend to check what he
recognizes as the rapid Anlericaniza-
ton of the Dominion. He recognizes,
however, that Canada has much to
gain commercially from Identified
In mind the prosperity Of the states,
| there Is no reason to doubt the ex-
/ tension of the same degree Of com
, mercial prosperity over the territory
| Of the Dominion from Identification
? with the states which now pertains to
j the border states themselves.
| g.. Canada, however, Is not likely at
the present time to become part Of
{ the United States. While it is true
that the attachment Of the Canadian
: to the mother country is much less Sc
! cure and tender than formerly, in the
same degree in which it Is weakened
= the national spirit Is strengthened
, and national greatness.
) Whether, in the event Of her indie
: pendence, she will ever be willing tt
: identify herself with the great repub.
. lilo on her southern border, Is a mat.
t ter for speculation. If the war Of the
2 rebellion had succeeded in separating
4 the north and the south, the proba
! bilities are that the time would have
: come when commercial interests ant
: mutual advantage would have brough
Q them together again as one country
l and the same considerations may bt
expected. in the course Of time, tt
unite Canada and the United States
The existence of an Imaginary line
establishing between these countrie
different trade conditions, is an alb
surdity and an unnecessary hindranc
= to the best commercial development
;. of both, which will some day b
= erased, and commercial consideration
= will have more to do with that era
!, sure than anything else.