The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-17
Luncheon to Earl Kintore
Brought Out Some New
and Striking Features
CELEBRATION MEANS
CONTINUED PEACE
Indications Are That Canada and
Australia as Well as Other
British Possessions Will
Take Part
By HOLLAND

N~f 'iat was sald al the recent luncheon !
winch was given in this city by the Pill
grim society of the United States to the
Earl Kintore was informal and a good
deal OF II had reference to the interest
winch approaches enthusiasm which was
reported at this gathering to characterize
ihe attitude of the people of Canada to
the proposition that there be a celebra-
| ton of the completion of 100 wears of
peace between the United States and
Great Britain There were many COM
ments at this gathering and there have
peen many since which show how clearly
1t is beginning to be understood how
greatly Canada would have suffered had
there been hostilities between the United
states and Great Britain for instance at
the time of the dangerous boundary dis
putes or later when war was averted by
the action of President Lincoln and Sec
retary Seward in delivering to Great Bri-
tain the commissioners of the confederate
government. Mason and SlidelI who were
| taken from a British steamship forcibly
on the high seas by Captain Wilkes and
brought to the United States and i'm
prisoned.
For had war followed the capture of
Mason and Sldell in all probability
Canada would have been the chief battle
ground, as the Dominion would certainly
have been had the dispute over the north
western boundary, which has passed into
history as the "fifty-four-forty or fight
ISSUE resulted in fight"
Since the determination of the contro-
versy caused by the depradations upon
the commerce of the United States by
the confederate privateer Alabama the
trade and commercial relations of the
United States with Canada have enor-
mously increased. Recent statistics show
that our international trade with Canada
is greater than that which we have with
any other country, excepting Great Bri-
tain, and would be larger than that car
ried on with Great Britain were it not
for the magnitude of our expectation of
cotton to the British markets.
Those who were close to President Mel
I<inley in the last years of his first ad-
ministration and particularly those who
heard his address before the Home Mar
ket club of Boston, in which he gave
the first intimation of his belief that the
time for high protection had passed and
in its place there should be substituted
world-encompassing reciprocity of trade, |
| judged from some things Mckinley said
that he was first persuaded to take this
new position through his study of the
very great growth of our trade with
Canada. He believed that this trade
would be greatly and constantly increased
provided there were satisfactory recipro-
city trade relations established between
the two nations.
1t is the assumption that the people of
Canada now realize what permanent
peace between the United States and
Great Britain has meant for Canada,
which explains the enthusiasm with which
the Canadian people look forward to the
centennial celebration of the day when
through the treaty of Client in Decem-
ber. 1914, this peace was established.
Possibly it due to the manner in
which ex-senator Depew spoke at the
luncheon to Lord Kintore of what peace
between the United States and Great
Britain meant and today means for
Canada that one of the chief topics for
discussion at and since that gathering has
been the part which Canada is to bear
in this international peace celebration.
In an incidental way Depew stated that
had there been war Canada undoubtedly
would have been the battle-ground and
might have suffered, as some of the states
of the south suffered at the time of the
civil war, from the devastations of the
conflict Instead of devastation in her
institutions and i'll her continental and
her transcontinental railroads. Canada
has opened vast areas of virgin soil for
| the cultivation of wheat and in her gen.
eral progress has advanced more rapidly
| in these 100 years of peace than any
nation except the United States. And as
Canada grows in population and pros
| perity each succeeding generation is Ger
tain to recognize what peace between
| Great Britain and the United States
| means for the Dominion.
Enthusiasm Elsewhere
| Possibly this gathering of the Pilgrim
| society in honor of Earl of Kintore may
| speedily serve to stimulate the interest
| of the United States In the celebration
| of the completion of a century of peace
between the United States and Great
| Britain. For not only will the celebra-
| ton emphasize the wonderful material
advantages which peace has made possi-
BILE, but 1t is the feeling in Great Britain
and Canada-the hope is-will soon be the
feeling throughout the United States,
| that this celebration not only is to be a
| memorial of 100 years of peace but is
| TO be sure forecast of the continuation
| OF this relation. The Earl of Kntore
said that war between the United States
and Great Britain is unthinkable. He
| also implied that 1t was in part unthink-
able because of the neighborly relations
| now established on magnificent sea 10
between Canada and the United States
Furthermore, there were hints, sorne-
what vague it is true, that should the
United States at any time be in peril
from adversaries in the far east there
likely the visible support of Great Britain.
Support of that kind was given at the
time of the Spanish war. for had II not
been for the quiet. unannounced but NOT
the less effective attitude of Great Britain
at that time, the nations of Europe, with
the possible exception of Russia. might
have Joined In such manner as to give
valuable aid to Spain. The public knew
nothing of this, but John Hay. at that
time our ambassador at the court of st.
James, received private and informal in
timations that England would not coun-
tenance the proposition for an offer of
mediation by the nations across the sea
between Spain and the United States
The Peace of Europe
While there is celebration of the hum
dred years of peace between the United
States and Great Britain, 1t will be known
not only to the state department at
Washington, but In the offices of men
who are occupied with international
| financing that the peace of Europe OF to- |
day is superficial peace, demonstrated
by the fact that Germany has recently
taxed not the income, but the principal. |
of her people SO as to secure $25OOOO,O0O
for her army, and that France Is about |
to do the same thing. while Germany and
Eng land are feverishly building dread
naughts.
Great Britain is to celebrate the hun.
dredth anniversary Of the treaty of Client |
in part by a great exposition. Canada |
expects to do the same thing, and the |
Earl of Kintore intimated that In Nike !