Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-02
MAY IMPERIL THE TREATY
sTrade Advantages Are Ignored by
{
Opponents of Pact.
ANNEXATION STILL BUGABO0
President Taft Quoted in Support of
Charge That U. s. Has Designs
on Canada.

pafgnerS TO Sn11t tne ISSUE liolii on ~
nomic TO a patriotic one is born out ns
advices received in Washington today, in
Guiding the full text of the last speech
of the opposition leader, r. l.. Borden.
II Is quite apparent from all evidences
that the opponents of the liberal govern
ment, overbonne by the economic and
common sense arguments in favor of reel
procity. are taking refuge behind has
tiy imposed rampant of patriotism. with
rally y-around-the-fla boys, cry to
arouse national pride.
That it is specious issue in the cir
cumstances is neither here nor there. 1t
is "a good enough Morgan for the occa
sion. That this new plan of campaign.
hy sinking the real issue, may imperil
ratification of the pact is within the range
OF possibilities, although no safe prophecy
can be made unutil 1t is seen how Sir
Hilfrid Iaurier meets the new tactics and
the success with which he may combat
them.
Termed Yelled Treason.
Yelled treason was the term applied
~ Mr.. Borden to the reciprocity pact,
and his Characterization was wildly ap-
pauded by the audience. In his Montreal
speech Mr.. Borden said:
Il say that there is no distinction in
principle between the proposal presented
in this country and the proposal of
1881. and ] come back to the question of
mutual admiration between Sir John A.
Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier.
Il say that when the present prime
minister of Canada. then leader of the
opposition, brought forward that proposal
in 1891 Sir John A. Macdonald described
II as veiled treason. (Applause). And he
won the supreme triumph of his life when
he called upon the people of Canada to
put down that veiled treason. They did
put 1t down, and it never should have
been heard from again.
President Taft Quoted.
1T is useless. as some liberal journals
do. to pretend that when Mr.. Taft
spoke of the parting of the ways he
had nothing in mind but a commercial
treaty, becaiIaesdis words indicate that
there is unalterable idea that when
we once get this treaty, we shall enter
upon first, commercial union, and end
by absorption.
He said that Canada had come to the
parting of the ways. In his speech at
New York. he added to it the state
ment that the bonds which unite Canada
to the mother country are almost i'm
Ierceptible.
He said that there were forces which
sought to make Canada part of COM
mercial band reaching to England,
around the world, and back to Eng
land again. and he called upon the
people of the United States to see that
the treaty was made at once, in order
that Canada might never be part Of
that commercial band.
What did Mr.. Taft's words mean?
They mean that this treaty is designed
by himself and other great statesmen
in the United States as means of
preventing the consolidation of the
British< empire, SO far as Canada is
concerned"
Audience Goes Wild.
But another speaker at the meeting
went Mr.. Borden one better by bark
ing back to Trafalgar and Lord Nelson
to draw upon the patriotic spirit l..
7. Marechal. X. c., drew a parallel be-
tween the situation in Canada at pres
ent and the situation in the mother
country some hundred years ago, when
the gallant admiral of the British fleet,
Lord Nelson. issued his famous COM
manG: England expects every man to
do his duty. His final words were: Let
every Canadian do his duty"
The audience was worked UP to a
high pitch of enthusiasm and cheered
and applauded the speaker to the echo.
Fear Foreigners Grasp.
Save our country from the foreigners
grasp was the cry of another speaker.
c. F. Johnston. conservative candidate
for parliament in the st. Lawrence dis
trict
But the majority of the electors will
not stand for this pact" went on the
candidate for ST. Lawrence. We want
to save our country from the foreigners
grasp. CHEERS and long applause Ins
question of reciprocity is bigger than any
party. Ii is a question of self-preServa-
fon. We, the iberal-conservative party
of Canada. think that the Dominion of
Canada and the province of Quebec sound
much sweeter to our ears than to be
called the state of Quebec and the North
ern States of America. (Cheers) Is this
time TO enter into a reciprocity pact
with the United States? tCries of NO,
no. Let vote for Borden and Can
ada first: and instead of singing The
Star Spangled Banner, let us continue
the song of The. Maple Leaf Forever. "
The Montreal Star, one OF the most
powerful newspapers in the Dominion
and the leading organ Of the anti-rect-
procity party. commented as follows:
Cynical and Selfish.
President Taft has set himself 70 pre-
vent the consolidation OF the British en-
pire. He says so boldly and brutally in
the plainest language. Mr. Borden real
lees that this is a blow aimed at the
existence of Canada Under present con-
ditions we cannot stand alone. We must
either be British or live on the tolerance
of our cynical and selfish nextdoor neigh
Dor. Some day the British empire may
center here. Some day Canadians may
be the leaders OF civilization.
THE path 10 this glorious future lies
along the rugged way of sturdy inde
pendence, supported and encouraged by
British connection. If we sell out to the
ambitious Americans we will sell the
most alluring future which ever beckoned
any people Our high destiny requires of
US nothing but courage and self-reliance;
and these are qualities in which Canaa.-
ans have always exceIled.
so long as Mr. Borden continues to
preach this evangel he will touch the
hearts OF our people The battle of mar
ket statistics he can afford to leave 10
men without the broader vision and es-
pecially 10 the rd-pressed and we'll paid
apologsts Tor this pact who must defend
Ii on mercenarS grounds or remain silent
ITO them II must be question of pen
nies or nothing. They cannot appeal to
our national aspirations, to our high
hopes for the future, to our carving
forward the flag our forefathers stained
with their blood and tears. But We who
are fighting for the life of the nation
have right to demand that men forget
their petty accounts of profit and loss and
shoulder their national responsibilities as
the heirs of a century of conflict and
the trustees of the greatest national
e5Omise on the round earth today.