Evening star., 1938-08-14
CANADIAN BORDER
|S:MERE SYMBOL
Lack of Forma|ities Is in
Striking Contrast to
Europe.
By. ANDRUE BERDING.

- BY ANDhUE OEhDlNo,
Associated Press Foreisn Correspondent
uANANOQUE. Canada. Aug. 13.-
Wheh President Roosevelt and Ca
madam Premier Mackenzie King dedi-
cate the new international bridge
across the st. Lawrence River at the
Thousand Islands on August 18, they
viii add another stone to one of the
most amazing structures in history
the American-Canadian border.
The writer has just travelled along
hundreds of miles of this border while
studying the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
deep waterway project which long has
been under consideration by the two
countries.
After IL years spent in Europe, 1t
was an almost unbelievable expert
ence. Gone were passport formalities,
customs formalities, currency formali-
ties, the usual half-hour wait beneath
the prying eyes and fingers of guards
and officials.
The writer had and declared a
portable typewriter. a candid camera
and pair of field glasses-all OBJ
jects of suspicion in Europe. There
was no trouble.
Travelled Along Border.
In Canada he Travelled along the
border-something that had best not
be done In Europe these days. But
here there was nothing but courtesy.
The language was the same. the peo-
pie seem the same, signs were differ
ent-being in both French and Eng
lish-automobiles were the same
money the same (since American and
Canadian currency had equal accept
ance, the exchange being practically
at par.
The writer paid for something with
a IS Canadian banknote and got In
change two American dollars, two
Canadian dollars and mixed silver
Of both countries.
Frequently you see boundary mark
ers defining the 5.526 miles of border
between the United States Gnclud-
ing Alaska) and Canada. There are
8,060 such monuments.
On one side of the monument you
Gee the words United States" and
international Line and on the other
Canada" and international Line" "
Also the number Of the monument and
the date Of the treaty governing that
section Of the border.
Swaths Cut Through Forests.
Occasionally you come across a
border forest strip where a swath 20
feet wide has been cut through the
woods to keep the boundary line open
and the border monuments visible.
Fifteen hundred miles of forest area
have been so cleared.
At international highways hand
some ornamental concrete shafts
designate the boundary, one on each
side of the road Bridges are marked
with bronze tablets. When the baum
dairy runs through q body Of water
the monuments are placed on the
shore.
The work of the American and
Canadian commissioners Of the In
ternational Boundaries Commission,
Thomas Riggs and Noel Ogilvie. has
met with high praise. Typical of the
feeling across the border Is the fact
that the two commissioners have been
warm friends from tho time IS years
ago when they were young surveyors
together in the Cascade Mountains.
The writer had occasion to cross
back into the United States twice to
visit strategic points of the Great
Lakes-St. Lawrence project. On
neither occasion was his name asked
Only the fact that he was born In
Ohio, his wife In Tennessee and his
daughter In Rome. Italy. Even this
last birthplace caused no comment.
The border seemed more symbolic
than real.