Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
BY WILLIAM HARD.


While habit leads Washington In the
field of international affairs to spend
it's time looking distantly at Europe and
at Latin America, the fact Is at this
week end that the biggest clouds IN our
international affairs are right across
the border northward from US In
Canada.
The thing which we most want from
Canadae-namely, canal down the st.
Lawrence Rivers today gravely I'M
matters. The instant chances are that
with the continuance of those policies,
which is almost inevitable, the nego-
tiations between Ills and Canada for the
canal will come to an absolute stand
still.
In numerous ways growing trrita-
ton against us In Canada has been
produced by the actions OF various
agencies of the Government at Wash
ington. Our Radio Commission has
seemed 70 many Canadians to be OBJ
tusely Siisregardful of rightful Canadian
claims to participation In the waves Of
the ether. Our Shipping Board has
seemed similarly TO many Canadians TO
be unduly and improperly aggressive In
its attacks upon Canadian arrange.
ments for British trade preference"
within the British Empire. In many
other ways, while we have been concen-
trating ON good will" toward us in
europe and In Latin America. We have
been steadily losing good will" In the
territory. occupied by our one great
ueighbor Of similar blood and OF similar
conceptions Of government and OF daily
life. The climax to this untoward de-
velopment, In which we have borne no
consciously guilty part, has come In our
new proposed tariff law.
** X X
That law. If enacted with the duties
which seem probable and, indeed, ines
capable, will deal a heavy blow at Ca
madam prosperity. 1t viii, In particular,
cause serious damage TO Canadian agri-
culture. The prime feature OF the new
law will be additional drastic protection
to American agricultural products. The
imports most effectively restricted by
that new protection will be imports
from the farms Of the Canadian prov
iuces. Y Il
Canadian cattlemen and Canadian
growers of clover seed and Of alfalfa
seed have been especially concerned.
They have sent many communications
to washington. They have come TO
washington in person to observe the
hearings before the ways and means
committee of our House of Representa-
tives ON tariff adjustment" They will
ingly concede our perfect full right to
make our own tariff laws to suit our
own interests. They nevertheless are
full of anxiety and perplexity about the
new conditions which our new tariff
adjustment" will produce on the farms,
and also In the factories, Of their own
country.
CONSIDERABLY, but 1t Is clear that they
contemplate a necessary vital shift IN
Canada's whole world outlook in agri-
culture and in industry just as soon as
our new tariff law goes into effect.
They point out that Canada now seils
us annually some five hundred million
dollars worth of industrial and agri-
cultural commodities. Tt buys from us
more than eight hundred million dol
lars worth. This interchange Is nat
uraIIy of much greater consequence. TO
Canada than it Is to us. If the Cana
dams are restricted in their selling to
ms. they must Immediately and diligent-
ly seek new markets. The outcome OF
that coming process has been temper
ateIy but candidly expressed to this
writer by MIR. John w. Dafoe, a power
full newspaper publisher, OF winnipeg,
Manitoba, who has been spending few
days Of inquiry and consultation IN
Washington.
n 4 ** H.
"when we shall lave lost the Amer
lean market" said Mr.; Dafoe. AND
when we shall have redirected our ex-
norts to other markets In Europe ana
In Asia and in Latin America. we shall
then. of course, find ourselves buying
more as well as selling more IN the
countries Of our new customers. We
shall increase our purchases from them
in rough proportion to the increase IN
our sales to them. Our imports from
you will have to decline as your I'M
ports from US are declining see aneao
of Canada q much closer connection
| in trade md In sentiment with other
continents, and In particular with all
| the other parts of the British Empire.
| The political effect of your new tariff
should think, would be a. considerable
strengthening of British trade prefer
ence' and of British Empire solidarity.
Perhaps that would be no disaster, ana
| I do not wish to seem to complain.
am only speculating about the probable
character Of our future world relations.
The crucial point In Mr.. DaIoeS oiS-
course, to this writer's thinking, was
his alluSion to the coming strengthen
| ing of the sentiment OF British ana ca.
madam nationality on the other side OF
or northern border. ~ This sentiment
viii, without doubt, impede our acqui-
sition OF q canal route down the st.
Lawrence River to the Atlantic. A
waterway along that route was one
Of the pledges given to the american
electorafe bv President-eI Hoover and
il has become q cherished and fixed
intention among the citizens Of all, our
Midwestefn and Northwestern States.
Il has always been much less popular
among the Canadians than among us.
The impending blow to Canada from
our new tariff makers Is now rapidly
CHANGING whatever slender popularity
the canal project may have had In
Canada into an outright hostility to IT,
| There is no newspaper In Canada