CANADA AND EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18422, 1 July 1925, Page 8

CANADA AND EMPIRE.

STRONG BRITISH SENTIMENT. VIEWS OF A VISITOR. A vigorous denial of a desire on the part of Canada to be absorbed into the United States was made to a representative of "Tho Press" yesterday by a Canadian business man, who is at present on a visit to Christchurch and who claims that the sentiment of that Dominion is predominatingly British. The gentleman referred to is Mr Herbert Phillips, who has lived in Canada all his life and has travelled over its length and breadth. "Ever since I have been in the Dominion," said Mr Phillips, "I have noticed that there is an impression here that Canada desires to affiliate with the United States. I have seen such statements in tho newspapers in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It has not been stated in any one instanco in what particular part of Canada such a feeling exists or on whose authority the statements have been made, although we have it on. the authority of such papers as the Toronto "Globe," tho Montreal "Star." and other Canadian dailies that there is no such feeling. I have lived in Canada all my life, and I defy anybody to provo that this feeling exists there." Proceeding, Mr Phillips said it was truo that about 2i> years ago there was somo talk about Canada seceding from the British Empire and amalgamating with tho U.S.A., this being due to the fact that at the time business in tho Dominion was very bad, avid it was thought that by joining up with her big neighbour Canada would benefit herself. That was now a matter of tho past, however. "Wo give Britain a greater preference in our market to-day than any other Dominion, it being equivalent to 40 per cent. on tho complete tariff. Wo do not choose any_ items to givo preference to, but allow it on everything, and we are tho only Dominion that does so. You also givo a big preference in New Zealand, and I have no complaint to make in this respect," ho added! Ho would admit that New Zealand was more British than Canada both in. point of population and sentiment. "But,'; he said, "yours is a smaller Dominion than ours, and it is younger. Wo aro growing up, p.ncl to-day (July Ist) we will celebrate our 58th birthday as a Dominion. We believe firmly in the princiolo: 'Daughter am I in my mother's house, but mistress, am 1 in my own,' even although it was an Englishman who wrote it."

Mr Phillips pointed out that there was a New Zealand flag, wherens there was no Canadian flag, Canadians using tho Union Jack.. Canada was troubled yery little by agitators. There were only two Labour members in the House of Commons and no Labour Party. On one occasion a Labour member proposed in the Honso that tho Governor-Generalship should be dispensed with. His motion was seconded by tlio other Labour member, and there the matter ended. He felt no concern at all about the future of Canada so far as the. British Empire was concerned, but with regard to the Canadian people themselves his opinion was that it might rub them up the wrong way to know that their feelings in this respect were being questioned, as they were in the New Zealand Press. With regard to * the suggestion made by a writer in the London "Spectator" that "a quarter of a million British migrants per annum, for tho next fifty years would make the Dominion so solidify British that annexation sentiment would have no chance to der volop," Sir Phillips said that there was no quarter cf a million who wanted to conio to Canada/ that that country would think of accepting, nor in his opinion would New Zealand. Both Dominions wanted the right typo of men and would not have the other. If they accepted them they would want soino say in the class that came. There were far more extremists in New Zealand than in Canada, said Mr Phillips, as there were also in Australia It was possible to hear the most violent statements made in Sydney on a Sunday afternoon, but sinco ho had been in New Zealand ho had seen nothing in the Press about Australia breaking - away from the Empire. Ho contendod that the Canadian newspapers that he had mentioned, knew more about tho position of that Dominion than the correspondents who wrote to papers in other countries, and ho considered that tho opinion of those papers was worth more than those of unnamed writers, such as thoso that he had referred to.

With regard to the matter of Americans starting manufacturing, and other businesses in Canada, he desired to state that they did so because they found such a procedure a good investment. They found that although NewYork was a good deal closer to Canada than was London, it was still not close enough and consequents they came into Canada itself. "And there are a good many people in New Zealand" concluded Mr Phillips, "who would he glad to see something similar happen here."