The Future of Canada.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18420, 29 June 1925, Page 8

The Future of Canada.

When considering the problems of foreign policy and the attitude of the Dominions the statesmen of Great Britain have littlo uneasiness concerning New Zealand, but they cannot help being anxious concerning South Africa and Canada. Indeed, there is not a little in the development of opinion in Canada to make nil the faithful friends of Empire unity—and in New Zealand there are an overwhelming majority—very uneasy indeed. To many people the future of Canada is the future of the British Empire, and there is nothing more to be said. Others, though not nearly so many, look forward to an early break from the Empire into independence or alliance with the United States. The important thing, hoAvever. is to know what the people of Canada themselves think, and there is a striking indication of that in an article in a recent " Spectator "—one of those articles which tho " Spectator " is so willing to publish though the opinions expressed are worlds away from its own. In this particular case it neither identifies itself with tho views of its eon- | tributor nor expresses dissent from them: it prints tho article as/we siutim:'ri<e it—to give inform::!ion and j make its readers think. In. recent

i issues of the great Canadian dailies — the Toronto "' Giobc," for example, and i the Jlontreal "Star"—"the idea of { secession is scoffed at. The " Globe " says that talk of partial secession—the break away of the Western Provinces into a separate Dominion —may be worth noting as a sign of discontent, hut it refuses to take any notice of " the stuff about independence- or " annexation which sometimes finds its '' way into Old Country papers." Tho " Star" is more contemptuous still. Instead of discussing tho matter seriously in its editorial columns, it hands it over to cartoonists to be ridiculed as the '•' Billy-season stuff •"' with which. British writers beguile their readers on dull days. But the " Spcc- " tator " correspondent declares that although Canadians do not regard their Dominion as arrived yet at the parting of tho ways, very many of them think that it will arrive there soon. Ho discusses, not merely as academic propositions, but as present and live issues, what can bo said, and actually is boing said, for each of "the three roads, all '• different from tho one Canada is " travelling now, which appear to be "open to her." Of tho fh'st, complete independence, ho remarks that " inde- '"' pendenco is one of the things which '' always appeal to a nation small in " numbers." The fact that Canada ia virtuully -independent—that she can arid docs do what she likes in practice even though in theory she is not as independent of Britain as Australia is • —does not satisfy many of her people. Just how many sigh for independence | the correspondent admits that no one j knows, " as there is as yet no organised " Independence Party," but ho indiI cates that he found many people more eager for absolute independence than tho people of Britain realise. At the samo time he found more people inclined to take the second road, annexation to tho United States. While independence has an emotional appeal it is difficult, but alliance with the States appeals materially. " Canadians are " apt to look across the border ut the "amazing prosperity of their neigh- " bours, and to arguo that Canada "would also lie flowing with prilk and "honey if she joined forces with the "Republic. It is also truo that enor"mous numbers have gone from " Canada to live in tho United Slates, "and these people , . . are eon- " stantly blowing tho American trumpet "so loudly that many Canadians be"licve in their hearts that annexation " offers tho best possiblo future." And there remains the third road—tho secession of tho Western Provinces out of tho Confederation. This proposal, which the Toronto " Globe " regards as only serious enough as a topic of conversation to bo more serious than the nonsenso talked about breaking away from the Empire, the " Spec- " tator " correspondent regards as " unquestionably a threat," though lie agrees that it would bo fatal to Canada, enabling the United States "to absorb her piecemeal," and that it would be resisted by the East by fore'e? of arms. Canada he says lias "poured out money in an avalanche "to unite the East with the West," and it "will not allow tho West to "smash the Confederation any more " than Lincoln allowed tho challenge "of the Southern States to go unheeded." That, at least, seems.certain enough; but the only other statement with which everybody will agree is that " a quarter of a million British " migrants per annum for the next " fifty years would make the Dominion "so solidly British "-we constantly forget what a largo proportion of Canadians are not British bom—" that "annexation sentiment would have no "chance to develop."