The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-12-01
BY Rt Hon. Lord Shaughnessy,
X & v q


Though bleeding with sacrifices and
bending with eifor, in behalf oi the
great empire Of which she is an iulc-
grail part, canada's biggest role in the
play of nations is not now but in the
future Fright though her record NAV
be. il is only glimpse of what is 10
come. Her greatest opportunities. al
'hough secured through a trying pres
cnt will he shown when. with the war
settled she undertakes to assume the
place she has fought for Success will
come measured by forcthought By
fulfilling duties as presented today.
Canada will be able 10 reap abundantly
, Of the prosperity which the years, sure.
U not far distant will bring
Mistakes Due to Short Vision.
Canadian history shows that what
mistakes have had to be rectied have
been those of too short vision and that
the deeds most criticised have been Of
over anticipation Between the two
is the straight course Of steady dcvcl
opmcnt Blind faith in the country has
been TO a large extent the guiding star
OF the men who have built. Speculation
has been a ready growth in a ground
rich beyond the dreams OF the most
hopeful. Calm conservative business
Nagaclty hadc the pioneers discard the
thought of spanning the pralrieS with
transcunlincntal line, while bold dar-
| ing built not one but three The suc.
cess OF the Canadian Pacific. the pio-
ncer, urged others to be reckless, per.
hapS, but then there were those who
said the construction Of the Canadian
Pacific was folly
Canada's course is the center one
and to choose is no easy task. We do
not wish TO cramp our future by a mar
row, limited imagination neither do
we wish to greatly ovcrdcyelop and
thus render the load we are now car
| rying too great II is sometimes hard
to realize that on ihe shoulders Of the
present the material for the future must
! be carried
Empire in Itself.
canada is an empire in itself It's
population is not a fraction Of what
IT should be, Of what it is capable of
becoming or Of what it will be after
the war. We are now taking steps
to prepare for the future and are an
ticipaiing an immigration that shosild
be unprecedented IN Canadian history
When peace is declared Canada will
! naturally be looked upon as the prom
lsed land by many peoples OF Eurofr
She will be in a position TO choose
carefully. She need take none hut the
best and only by so selecting her citi-
zenshlp will she bula up a nation
capable of performing the tasks which
undoubtedly will be allotted to her
Self Reliance Taught.
The war has taught Canada self re-.
lance as probably nothing else would
have done She has been forced to do
rapidly and efficiently things which
were impossible. She has expanded
commercially and industrially faster
than ever before and has confidence in
herself to do the things which she for
mcrly expected othets to do for her
In the same manner that she un-
hesltatingly modified the largest army
that ever crossed the Atlantic. she has
developed a sea traffic on both the
Atlantic and the Pacific that is ire
mendous. This will undoubtedly be
further developed proving to be a pow.
ertul aid in moldng trade conncc
tions favorable to Canada after the
war
Cannot Go Back.
Canada cannot go back She is COM
mitted to expansion but not to over
expansion. Keeping within limits JUS
titled by conditions has been hard II
is difficult, in being optimistic. to no,
be too optimistic and here perhaps is
the creates, problem
In the past Canada has been too
eager and is now faced with the prob.
lens OF over development in certain
lines.
Politically, Canada will undoubtedly
take more prominent part in the des
'inies OF the British empire than ever
before She will probably be asked to
become one OF the senior members of a
firm in which, before the war. she was
merely regarded as junior, full OF
promise to be sure but one on whom a
full share OF the burden should not be
placed. The future is undoubtedly
bright. but the advancement is fraught
/ with prohlcms which will renu;,. mood