CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1964, 10 June 1880, Page 2

CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

A curious “scare ” has been raised by an American officer with regard to the comparative military preparations o£ Canada and the United States in a letter in a Cincinnati journal. He points out that according to recent official returns the Canadian militia numbers 600,000 men, of whom not fewer than 43.000 are enrolled, wellarmed, and thoroughly drilled —equal, in fact, to regulars. The total army of the United States amounts to but 25.000 men ; and these, unlike the Canadians, are distributed over an enormous area, no part of which could be neglected without grave danger. Consequently the Canadians would have an enormous advantage at the commencement of a war, the rather that they are thoroughly well furnished with artillery and all necessary equipments for a field force. Moreover, as an army cannot be improvised in a hurry, Great Britain could land troops in Canada herself long before the United States could bring any organised forces into play. This and the opening of the Welland Canal, which will afford British gunboats access to the upper lakes, are made the opportunity for a little sensational writing. But the more sober Americans console themselves with the knowledge that there is no likely causa for a misunderstanding between the two countries, and that the next census will probably give the population of the United States at 47,000,000. Meantime it is worthy of remark that the project of a reciprocity treaty between the United States and Canada has been revived.