Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-05-26
.LAUR|ER SCOTS
At ANNEXATION
COLONIAL PREMIERS HEAR SIR
WILFRED'S VIEWS AT BIG
LONDON DINNER.
LONGEST COMMON BOUNDARY
With Not a Fort or Gun.-Says He
Is Surprised That United States
Designs Are
Doubted.

London, May 24.-The dinner Of the
Pilgrims Society in honor of the col
onial premiers was historic because
of unexpected and noteworthy plain
speaking by Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the
premier Of Canada. Sir Wilfred, adj
dressing an audience composed of
many of the great men of England,
handled the annexation question with
out gloves.
He began by expressing amazement
that during his three days stay in
England he had heard so many people
of standing voicing doubts of the de-
signs of the United States regarding
Canada. He scoffed at the idea Of the
possibility of annexation being serious
ly considered on either side of the Dor
der. He expressed in warm terms his
admiration for the people of the
United States, but declared that, much
as he loved the American people, he
loved Great Britain better.
Canada, in sharing the continent
with the United States, he said, had
double interest in the treaty of arbi-
tration between the United States and
the United Kingdom, and he exclaimed
dramatically: Il thank God that the
relations between the two peoples
never were so good as they are today"
Example for World.
The premier aroused enthusiasm
when he said that Canada and the
United States proposed to continue to
show to the world two nations with
the longest boundary, extending from
ocean to ocean, living in peace and
mutual respect, without a fortress,
soldier or a gun on either side Of that
boundary.
Lord Roberts presided and welcomed
the premiers. Sir Edward Grey, the
foreign secretary, proposed anglo
American arbitration" without adding
anything significant to his former ut
terances on this subject.
There is no conflict of national
policies between us and the United
States he said. I'VE have confidence
in each other"
Defining the Monroe doctrine as
meaning that no European nation
should acquire more territory on the
American continent, he added: Our
policy is in full accord with that doc
trine"
The American consul general, John
L. Griffiths responded. He said it was
a matter of qualification and pride to
the American people when President
Taft struck the highest moral note of
this generation, and he recalled with
what sense of exultation they received
Sir Edward Grey's reply.
Sir Wilfrid spoke at length on the
immigration of Americans to Canada,
and the apprehensions he had heard
expressed that they might threaten
the integrity of the dominion. He
said that the majority of them took
the oath of allegiance to George V.
They had found in Canada the same
opportunity and the same freedom un-
der the laws which they had on the
other side of the border. Moreover
they had found that democracy under
British monarchy was not less than
under a republic. He would not say
that some Americans did not covet
the fair acres of Canada; they would
not be human if they did not. If the
United States attempted to annex Can
ada, continued the premier it would
not be by force of arms, but by seduc-
ton.