CANADA & AMERICA

Hokitika Guardian, 25 October 1929, Page 8

CANADA & AMERICA

SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES. ARBITRATION PACT PROPOSED. SAN FRANC. SCO, September 4. Plea for a strengthening of Canad-ian-United States co-operation on the ground that the Dominipn is the “best possible interpreter’’ of the United States to Great Britain, and that Can-adian-American interchange of trade, investment, and population has created need of Letter international understanding was made by Dean P. E. Corbett, of McGill University of Montreal, before members of the Institute of Polities in annual session at Williamstovvn, Massachusetts. Pointing out that, while there had been no war between Canada and th ; united States in 115 years, there has ueen a number of disputes for the peaceful settlement of which treaties have been erected, Dean Corbett stated that he believed there should be now “a simple all-in-all treaty providing for arbitration of every dispute in order to fortify out existing cordial relations.”

Discussing Canada’s role as an interpreter of the ' United States -to Great Britain, he said that the fourpower treaty, which replaced that of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, might with justice, be regarded as the fruit' of such, interpretation. . ' “Great Britain can scarcely be expected to~view without concern suo.i small imbroglios as we have 'With our neighbours,” lie stated. “On the other hand. Canada has to face the consequence of any maladroitness in Great Britain’s conduct of the great affairs which still bring her into direct contact with the United States.” Dean Corbett continued: -Canada is lor most ordinary and practical purposes an autonomous political entity, although it is also part of the British Commonwealth of Natiuno.

DUAL CHARACTER. “In both its aspects, our dual character expresses the wish of the vas>. majority of Canadians. Almost no one \in Canada would wish to return to the colonial status; few Canadians desire separation and complete independence; fewer still, I believe, long for union with the United States. . “While the annexation bogey crops up from time to time, there is no serious belief in Canada that the unib-3J States intends to absorb it. With respect to the view of foreigners that the two peoples are so much alike and so nearly identical in their aims that fusion is only a matter of time, T say that I ( dd not believe any amount of radio, journalistic, or other influences would ever break down the feeling of national pride or the pride of independent ownership. We take your attitude to he that described by one of your presidents, ‘our protection is our fraternity, our armour is our faith, and the tie that binds more firmly each year is ever-increasing acquaintance and comradeship.’ ”' Dean Corbett expressed the hope that if Canada were invited to join in the Pan-American Union she would accept the strengthening CanadianAmerican co-operation and diminishing the risks involved in conflict of interest. He added, however, that he looked forward to such a consummation without “tremendous enthusiasm” because he doubted the efficacy of the union as an instrument of International collaboration.

“I do not deny,” he continues, “that the union'has served a useful purpose as a debating society, but the outsider is struck by the smallness of the visible effect these debates have had upon the policy of the United States. But if the union ran effect any measures of disarmament, safeguard the health of the continent, codify its international law and erect a solid system of agreements for pacific settlement of disputes,. then I think we ought to belong to it.”