Evening star., 1940-10-04
Canada 10 Emerge
From War as Great
Maritime Power
Worships and Planes
Convoy Cargo Ships
From Eustern Port
BY HAL OFLAHERTY.
Special Dispatch to the Chicago Daily News
and The Washington Star.


and The Washington Star.
QUEBEC.-As one outgrowth of
the war Canada is certain to emerge
with two, perhaps three, of the
greatest ports in the world. AS IN
the case of the United States in
the last war, suddenly finding itself
a powerful creditor nation, Canada
Is today. by virtue of war trade, one
Of the greatest maritime powers Of
the world.
In one of her Eastern ports a
traffic has evolved such as this con-
tinent has not seen since 1913.
Flotillas OF the greatest commercial
ships ever to ply the seas load their
hulls to the limit with the essentials
of war. steam majestically out of
harbor and point eastward to the
aid of Britain, conveyed by fast
warships on all sides and by great
roaring bombers in the air
The sight of this harbor today IS
breath taking to the experienced
eyes of shipping men. Freighters
Of dozen nationalities, particularly
prominent being the ships Of lands
now under the heel of the dictator
powers. are loading at the docks or
lying idle awaiting convoy. Giant
liners lie beside tiny ore boats. The
defense Of an empire and the sue
cor of a hard-pressed England could
not be more graphically illustrated.
Thy Navy a Year Ago.
A year ago Canada had a micro
scopic navy, barely 100 men of
all rating. Today she has more than
10000 officers and men on active
duty in 125 warships 1t is one of
great significant changes that come
with war and one that is of utmost
importance to the North American
continent. Canada has emerged in
the space of a few months as a
maritime giant.
Alongside one pier lies warship
of England. Her record during the
evacuation of the British and
French troops from Dunkirk is OF
heroic proportions. Her officers and
men took leading parts in the rescue
of their comrades and are home to
tell of hardships and dangers that
make other wars seems trilng by
comparison.
Observers. who are now for the
first time allowed to see what is
transpiring in one of the largest
protected harbors in the world,
realize that Canada not only IS at
war. but is in close contact with it.
The gates Of the harbor were opened
as a party of newspaper ap-
preached upon the deck of a de-
stroyer, but they were closed as we
passed through, and it is safe to
say no undersea boat ever could get
through without running incredible
risks.
Thousands in Training.
In a naval school newly organized
Is training more thousands of men
to take their places in defense of
the empire. Drawn from the mari
time provinces with generations of
the traditions of the sea behind
them and from the western shores,
these recruits are putting into the
business of learning the infinite
number Of drills required on war
ship the same untiring energy that
characterizes the air service and the
army.
The calls and hoarse shouts of
the gunners as they 60 through the
routine of loading and firing heavy
naval guns resound from every side.
Under any and all conditions they
must learn to stand to their jobs.
The guns must be served, and in the
iron discipline and hard work of
these months will come the forti-
tude to keep on firing as long as
man is left to open the breech and
load the heavy shells into position.
No matter where one turns in the
war effort of this country, the same
hardening process is easily observ-
able. No thought exists of losing a
war. True, England is hard-pressed.
but men of hard will are coming to
her aid. And men of equally solid
determination already are in service,
U. S. Destroyers Help.
In growing volume the war ma
terials from the United States and
Canada are piled into the holds and
lashed to the decks of this infinite
fotilla. Soon the cargoes will leave
Canada protected by the guns of de-
stroyers recently sold to Canada by
the United States. Great is the
service these vessels are now to per-
form. They are lying now at East
ern ports. fully equipped but wait
ing only for new hands to famil-
liarize themselves in their operation.
These products of American in
eenuity represent far more than
mere purchase or exchange in the
Canadian mind. They represent the
help of good neighbor; return of
the pioneer spirit in which men rode
for miles over the prairies to help
friend whose property was endan-
gered or whose relatives were sick
In a week of travel through Cam
ada I have not once heard desire
expressed for the United States en-
try into the war. Gratitude for our
sympathy and help is found on
every hand, but there seems, if any,
thing, to be a hope that the United
States win remain at peace, SYM
Dol of way of life fast dying.