Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-07
Canadian Reciprocity.

Those who expected to hear the British
lion growl menacingly on the subject OF
Canadian reciprocity on the occasion of
the opening of parliament Yesterday were
disappointed. King George was silent
about the proposed commercial rap
prochement between the United States
and his largest colony. though undoubted
ly the question is being carefully con-
sidered in London and no end of
language is being devoted to the subject
in high places. The leader of the oppo-
sition in each chamber, after the with
drawal of the sovereign, referred to the
subject in terms of disappointment. The
Marquis of Lansdowne. speaking in the
house of lords, said he feared that the
proposed reciprocal agreement would di
minish the advantage which British trade
now enjoys under preference. In the
house of commons Mr.. Balfour deplored
the kings silence on the subject, mas
much as if the reciprocity agreement is
carried into effect it will, in his judg-
ment. have the most disastrous conse-
Quences upon the future of the empire.
Yet Mr. Balfour was not disposed to
criticise Canada, for Great Britain has
for years exscted preference sfrom her
the Dominion can scarcely be blamed for
looking elsewhere. 1t is noteworthy that
Premier Asquith. in rejoinder, adopted
an attitude of virtual agreement with the
reciprocity pact which he says is wholly
a matter of business between the United
States and Canada. and he went so far
as to assert that it was as certain as the
rising sun that the United States would
sooner or later he compelled to level the
tariff wall separating it from Canada
The anxiety felt in England regarding
the prospect of reciprocity on this con-
tinent should be considered here as a
good indication of the advantage TO be
derived by the United States from sucn
an arrangement. 1t is obvious that what
is England's loss through reciprocity will
be the gain of the United States. Cam
ada must buy and sell somewhere. Why
should she buy and sell in d market sep
arated by several thousand miles of
water, when Immediately at hand for the
greater part in unbroken contact lies a
natural market for both buying and sell
ing? Why should the United States
aintain wall across the middle of the
continent when every consideration of
business prompts it's destruction? 1t is
idle to expect that in any readjustment
of trade relations on the basis of free
exchange of goods every interest will at
the outset be content. No tariff revision
vas ever effected without protest from
interests temporarily injured. and yet in
every such revision conditions have soon
el' or later been adjusted so that eventu-
ally the country has prospered.
One by one those who regard the reci-
procity agreement as injurious are being
heard, and their representations will
doubtless receive the fullest considera-
ton. But there is no mstaking the pro-
nounced national demand for some such
departure. Outside of the special interests
affected the people recognize the economic
folly of maintaining an artificial wall be-
tween two great groups of people of the
same stock and occupying contiguous
portions of the same land differing ONLY.
in slight degree as TO their needs and
resources and opportunities for develop
ment.