The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-24
Canadian Premier Amazed at Doubts Concerning
 U. s. Designs
PREDICTS UNION OF
 ALL ENGLISH PEOPLE
q ThagS siod That the Relations
 Bet, 2 ; the Two Peoples Never oo re as Good as They
 go Are Today"

l IoS
 o Sndon, May 23.-The/ dinner of the ,rim society tonight, in honor oi
 colonial premiers, was historic be- Eeause of unexpected and noteworthy plain speaking by Sir Wilfred Laurier the premier of Sanada. Sir Wilfrid addressing an audience composed of many of the great men of England handled the annexation question with out gloves.
 / He began by expressing an amaze fment that during his three days stay in England he had heard so many persons of standing voicing doubts con- corning the designs of the United States concerning Canada. He scoffed at the idea of the possibility of annexation being seriously considered on either side of the border. He expressed in pie of the United States Canada, in sharing the continent with the United States, he said, had a double interest in the treaty of arbi- tration between the United States and the United Kingdom and he exclaimed dramatically:
 q thank God that the relations be- tween the two peoples never were SC good as they are today" The premier aroused enthusiasm when he said 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 re- spect without a fortress, soldier or gun on either side of that boundary l The dinner was in contrast to the one held during former imperialistie conference because that was of purely 1 British imperialistic tone while Anglo 1 saxon relations wsle a,tscst 'hc saf
 topic tonight
 Lord Roberts presided and welcomed 1 the premiers Sir Edward Grey, the foreign secretary, proposed Anglo American arbitration" without adding anything significant to his former ut | terances on this subject, He expressed pleasure at the arrival of the draft | of the treaty from Washington The negotiations, he said, would enter the domain. of practical politics and he sin cerely hoped that the treaty would be | VI
 concluded.
 Is No Conflict
 There is no conflict of national pol l icies between us and the United States he said We, have confidence in eacf others good will"
 Defining the Monroe doctrine as meaning that no European nation sh ouId acquire more territory on the American continent, he added; Our policy is in full4 accord witf l that doctrine"
 | The American consul general, Johr l l.. Griffiths, responded He said 1t was /, a matter of qualification and pride to the American people when President Taft struck the highest moral note oi his generation and he recalled with what sense of exultation they received lSir Edward Grey's reply. l The speaker ridiculed the suggestion | that without periodical strife men be- came weak and dwelt upon the TO- nance of peace. happy homes and pop | ulous cities.
 of the proposed treaty Is concluded, he said. i've can see in vision nation after nation animated by the same high purpose
 A message was sent to the King by the diners and the secretary of the
 society, Harry Britain. read this re- ply:
 ''The King thanks the Pilgrims fol
 their kind congratulations on his ap
 preaching coronation. He earnestly
 hopes that the high ideals which tht l society has in view may be complete
 ly realized. kNoLLfS. Of the speaker the Canadian premier
 was the most impressive.
 |. Sir Wilfrid spoke at length on the immigration of Americans to Canads and the apprehensions he had heard
 expressed that they might threaten tho integrity of the dominion. He said thf
 majority of them found in Canada tho
 same opportunity and the same free. ldom under the laws which they hae
 on the other side of the border. More over they had found that democracy
 under British monarchy was not lest l than under a republic.
 l The last words of the Canadian pre- l mier were almost drowned in ap- plause
 we believe he said that the day l will come of an alliance of all lands | springin from Englund's loins, ensur' I ing the peace of the world forever.
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