Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21
u. S. Relations With Canada

Canadian papers the constant inquiry:
IF the law under which this ruling
was made was passed in 1924, why was
1t not then at once enforced and why
DID It have to wait nearly. three years,
until April Of 1912"
In other words, however justinably
right we may be In the matter of
policies and legislation, why do we not
achieve a more understanding way of
making them known to our foreign
| neighbors?
When we turn from rum running and
| immigration to the question of radio
control, we find ourselves again upon a
plane where the cold facts may be with
us. but the psychological values largely
against us.
Radio Waves Adjusted.
OF the SO channels for broadcasting
Canada Is allowed" 6 for her ex-
elusive use and IL others which she
shares with American stations.
After a number of conferences on
both the subject Of broadcasting and
the ALLEGATION Of short commercial
wave lengths, commercial channels have
been comfortably adjusted. But Cana
dams remain resentful on the subject
Of the ALLEGATION Of broadcasting
channels
We hold that percentage of use is
the basis for claiming the right to
broadcast. We point to Canada's ten
millions, as compared with our own one
hundred and twenty millions of inhab-
itants. We claim within that population
higher percentage Of owners of sets.
We are jam full and turning away
applicants. We have $50 stations on
| tho dir HuhfJo rodia arlniV1aarc "a
really not more than 500 can be prop
| erly accommodated.
| Canada has one 5,000-watt station at
Toronto. one at Winnipeg, one at Mon
treal and stations under construction
at Ottawa and Toronto, all on clear
| channels. There are rs broadcasting
| stations Of al sorts in Canada.
These are all facts. Like many other
| facts. they are conclusive till you look
behind them.
Actually, both sides realize that what
| every one is trying to get is a vested
| right is as many transoceanic lines as
| possible, and that If we should ever
| have to go into some international court
| to discus our claims, we should want
to be able to point to the going proper
ties we have been using over such-and-
| such a period Of time.
| But Canada looks at us and says:
II don't like to have to admit that
| the United States owns the air! And
that we have to ask her for the right
| to use It'll"
Probably the Canadian government
| does not pass unmindful of the fact
that American radios advertise Ameri-
can goods.
Canada's Position.
l. sSks Ia
writer said to me, holds that the United
States Radio Commission has no right
| whatever to assume authority to allo-
cate wave lengths for Canada, and they
won't stand for it! We have now the
Royal Commission to investigate radio
control everywhere. They have been to
Europe. They are now in Canada and
they will shortly proceed to the United
States. We are looking to them to sug-
gest a policy"
Certainly we ought to be able to put
our side of an argument without max
ing such reasonable people as the Ca
nadians think we are trying to own the
air.
Leaving aside the question of the tar
if, there are numberless examples of
the enforcement of our domestic laws
in the enforcement of which We have
has always done her best to aid-con-
corning which the psychological values
are so important that they could well
be referred-not for settlement, but for
discussion and dissemination-to COM
mission composed of Canadians and
Americans.
There is existent today under the
terms of a treaty such a body-the
Joint International Commission. The
three American members are all men
of considerable political experience
ex-senator McCumber, ex-senator Du-
bois and ex-senator Clark.
The three Canadians are Charles Ma
grath, an outstanding business man and
chairman of the Ontario Hydro Electric
Commission; Sir William Hearst, an
able lawyer and formerly provincial
premier, and Nova Scotian lawyer, Mr..
Kyle.
Commission Decisions.
This being a three-to-three commits
sion. 1t cannot reach a decision unless
one man sides against his own country.
Yet so we'll has it functioned that its
numerous and frequently important de-
cisions almost always have been reached
unanimously. The work of this COM
mission might well be broadened to in
clude a great many controversial mat
tiers which it does not now handle.
There is certain opinion in WASH
ington that in cases where our domes-
tic legislation tangles itself up with our
foreign relations, as it inevitably does
from time to time in our dealings with
Canada, some one who represented the
foreign affairs side Of our government
might well be included in dealing
with it.
Such persons might be expected to
appreciate those imponderables in in
ternational relationships which are cas-
lily forgotten in the enthusiasm of law
enforcement by our well intentioned,
often overzealous Government en-
ployes.
Canada, in her present psychology, is
growing rapidly in her sense of indie
pendent nationality. She has nearly
ceased to be colonial in her psychol-
ogy. Shall her future be turned toward
deeper identification with the British
empire? Shall she be forced to look to
London for her future? Or shall she
growingly find her interests identified
with those of the Americas?
The answer Is largely up to us.