Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

eastern STATES were cut OF from the At
lantic by similar panhandle. n Canadian
sidewalk about twenty miles wide and $50
miles long. running from eastern Maine
down nearly To Philadelphia. that all the
great cities on that seahoard. including
Boston, Providence. Newport. New
Haven. Hartford. New York and Jersey
city. were Canadian municipalities. deriv-
ing their wealth from the American coun-
try behind them. Yet contributing not
cent toward American taxes. that not a
pound of freight could be sent from Pitts
. burgh ar Buffalo to New York or Boston
for export except in bond. We should long
ago have found the situation uncomfortable.
THE offer 10 trade the panhandle ought
not to be delayed a moment. If we make
ii now, of our own free choice. It's De
nefcent effects will be at a maximum
and our example will he most effective
in recommending the policy ot mutual
concessions 10 our parent nations. II w
delay the concession until the eanaoiais rs
complain, the effect of our example Wiz
be almost nullihed. ,.,
There are various equivalents which
the British empire could give US IN eN-
change for this concession one q tHe
most promising might be the bahai Ii.
and the British Lesser Aniilies' WY,
plitlSIi Ht
form a first-rate protection for the an
anna canal and the entire gulf coast, Tor
we could. if we chose. so fortlfN them
that no hostile ship could pass through
the intervening channels.
by offering British Honduras 10 Mex
ico together with sum OF money. as
soon as the Mexican government Is once
more on a firm footing. We could prop
ably get in exchange Lower Cahtornla
and enough land at the head of the CUR
of California to give Arizona its much
needed seaport. With Lower California
we should acquire Magdalena bay. first
rate naval base. and thus put an END 70
the periodical scare over its impending
occupation by another power.
This panhandle transaction wolld
probably be facilitated by stipulatnG that
a railroad shall be constructed forthwith
from the Grand Trunk TO the lilst
meridian. with branch to every port IN
the panhandle and that free trade shall
continue for twenty years between the
territory ceded and the country cedins H.
Railroad connection with the United
States would make Alaska as defensive
by our land forces as is the coast OF Cal
ifornia. No express clause would bt
needed granting us the privilege OF trans
porting troops over the proposed rall-
road, for there exists a tacit Canadian
s,,pnlement to the Monroe doctrine in the
fact that the Canadians. in the Interests
of their own safety. cannot allow :
foreign power to gain a foothold il
Alaska.
Moreover. the railroad would mean 2
fortune to every property owner in th'
panhandle while the time required by tn
Dominion to equal the mother country II
population would be abridged by many
years This, of course. would mean tina
our best customers would soon be buying
twice as much from us. The twenty
year period of free trade would mean tina
our Pacific coast cities would continue uh
hindered to benefit by the enormous eX
pansion of trade in the panhandle and IL
hnterland.
This proposed concession from us {
Canada would be tantamount to virtua
treaty of alliance, while by surrenderinl
to us the approaches of the American
Mediterranean and of the Panama cana
Great Britain would practically declar
that she considers her interests in thos
regions to be as safe in the hands of he
tacit ally as in her own and would llu
accustom that tacit ally to consider him
self once more as a member of her fam
lily.
Lord Rosebery in a recent speech con
fessed that the British Empire Is n
longer so secure as formerly. Anglo
American reunion would make it NOR
secure than ever. If the surrender Q
, the British West Indies in exchange 70
the Alaskan panhandle would tend I
hasten that reunion, il would be mas
ter-stroke Of British craftsmanship I