the canadian dominion-第36部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


etween　1897　and　1914；　greater　opportunities　than　even　the　United　States　could　offer。　The　Ministry　then　carried　its　propaganda　to　Great　Britain。　Newspapers；　schools；　exhibitions　were　used　in　ways　which　startled　the　stolid　Englishman　into　attention。　Circumstances　played　into　the　hands　of　the　propagandists；　who　took　advantage　of　the　flow　of　United　States　settlers　into　the　West；　the　Klondike　gold　fields　rush；　the　presence　of　Laurier　at　the　Jubilee　festivities　at　London　in　1897；　Canada's　share　in　the　Boer　War。　British　immigrants　rose　to　50；000　in　1903…04；　to　120；000　in　1907…08；　and　to　150；000　in　1912…13。　From　1897　to　the　outbreak　of　the　war　over　1；100；000　Britishers　came　to　Canada。　Three　out　of　four　were　English；　the　rest　mainly　Scotch；　the　Irish；　who　once　had　come　in　tens　of　thousands　and　whose　descendants　still　formed　the　largest　element　in　the　English…speaking　peoples　of　Canada；　now　sent　only　one　man　for　every　twelve　from　England。　The　gates　of　Canadian　immigration；　however；　were　not　thrown　open　to　all　comers。　The　criminal；　the　insane　and　feeble…minded；　the　diseased；　and　others　likely　to　become　public　charges；　were　barred　altogether　or　allowed　to　remain　provisionally；　subject　to　deportation　within　three　years。　Immigrants　sent　out　by　British　charitable　societies　were　subjected；　after　1908；　to　rigid　inspection　before　leaving　England。　No　immigrant　was　admitted　without　sufficient　money　in　his　purse　to　tide　over　the　first　few　weeks；　unless　he　were　going　to　farm　work　or　responsible　relatives。　Asiatics　were　restricted　by　special　regulations。　Steadily　the　bars　were　raised　higher。

Not　all　the　3；000；000　who　came　to　Canada　between　1897　and　1914　remained。　Many　drifted　across　the　border；　many　returned　to　their　old　homes；　their　dreams　fulfilled　or　shattered；　yet　the　vast　majority　remained。　Never　had　any　country　so　great　a　task　of　assimilation　as　faced　Canada；　with　3；000；000　pouring　into　a　country　of　5；000；000　in　a　dozen　years。　Fortunately　the　great　bulk　of　the　newcomers　were　of　the　old　stocks。

Closely　linked　with　immigration　in　promoting　the　prosperity　of　the　country　were　the　land　policy　and　the　railway　policy　of　the　Administration。　The　system　of　granting　free　homesteads　to　settlers　was　continued　on　an　even　more　generous　scale。　The　1800　entries　for　homesteads　in　1896　had　become　40；000　ten　years　later。　In　1906　land　equal　in　area　to　Massachusetts　and　Delaware　was　given　away；　in　1908　a　Wales；　in　1909　five　Prince　Edward　Islands；　and　in　1910　and　1911　a　Belgium；　a　Netherlands；　and　two　Montenegros　passed　from　the　state　to　the　settler。　Unfortunately　not　every　homesteader　became　an　active　farmer；　and　production；　though　mounting　fast；　could　not　keep　pace　with　speculation。

Railway　building　had　almost　ceased　after　the　completion　of　the　Canadian　Pacific　system。　Now　it　revived　on　a　greater　scale　than　ever　before。　In　the　twenty　years　after　1896　the　miles　in　operation　grew　from　16；000　to　nearly　40；000。　Two　new　transcontinentals　were　added；　and　the　older　roads　took　on　a　new　lease　of　life。　At　the　end　of　this　period　of　expansion；　only　the　United　States；　Germany；　and　Russia　had　railroad　mileage　exceeding　that　of　Canada。　Much　of　the　building　was　premature　or　duplicated　other　roads。　The　scramble　for　state　aid；　federal　and　provincial；　had　demoralized　Canadian　politics。　A　large　part　of　the　notes　the　country　rashly　backed；　by　the　policy　of　guaranteeing　bond　issues；　were　in　time　presented　for　payment。　Yet　the　railway　policies　of　the　period　were　broadly　justified。　New　country　was　opened　to　settlers；　outlets　to　the　sea　were　provided；　capital　was　obtained　in　the　years　when　it　was　still　abundant　and　cheap；　the　whole　industry　of　the　country　was　stimulated；　East　was　bound　closer　to　West　and　depth　was　added　to　length。*

*　During　the　Great　War　it　became　necessary　for　the　Federal　Government　to　take　over　both　the　National　Transcontinental；　running　from　Moncton　in　New　Brunswick　to　Winnipeg；　and　the　Canadian　Northern；　running　from　ocean　to　ocean；　and　to　incorporate　both；　along　with　the　Intercolonial；　in　the　Canadian　National　Railways；　a　system　fourteen　thousand　miles　in　length。


The　opening　of　the　West　brought　new　prosperity　to　every　corner　of　the　East。　Factories　found　growing　markets；　banks　multiplied　branches　and　business；　exports　mounted　fast　and　imports　faster；　closer　relations　were　formed　with　London　and　New　York　financial　interests；　mushroom　millionaires；　country　clubs；　city　slums；　suburban　subdivisions；　land　booms；　grafting　aldermen；　and　all　the　apparatus　of　an　advanced　civilization　grew　apace。　A　new　self…confidence　became　the　dominant　note　alike　of　private　business　and　of　public　policy。

With　industrial　prosperity；　political　unity　became　assured。　Canada　became　more　and　more　a　name　of　which　all　her　sons　were　proud。　Expansion　brought　men　of　the　different　provinces　together。　The　Maritime　Provinces　first　felt　fully　at　one　with　the　rest　of　Canada　when　Vancouver　and　Winnipeg　rather　than　Boston　and　New　York　called　their　sons。　Even　Ontario　and　Quebec　made　some　advance　toward　mutual　understanding；　though　clerical　leaders　who　sought　safety　for　their　Church　in　the　isolation　of　its　people；　imperialists　who　drove　a　wedge　between　Canadians　by　emphasizing　Anglo…Saxon　racial　ties；　and　politicians　of　the　baser　sort　exploiting　race　prejudice　for　their　own　gain；　opened　rifts　in　a　society　already　seamed　by　differences　of　language　and　creed。　In　the　West　unity　was　still　harder　to　secure；　for　men　of　all　countries　and　of　none　poured　into　a　land　still　in　the　shaping。　The　divergent　interests　of　the　farming；　free　trade　West　and　of　the　manufacturing；　protectionist　East　made　for　friction。　Fortunately　strong　ties　held　East　and　West　together。　Eastern　Canadians　or　their　sons　filled　most　of　the　strategic　posts　in　Government　and　business；　in　school　and　church　and　press　in　the　West。　Transcontinental　railways；　chartered　banks　with　branches　and　interests　in　every　province；　political　parties　organizing　their　forces　from　coast　to　coast；　played　their　part。　Much　had　been　accomplished；　but　much　remained　to　be　done。　With　this　background　of　rapid　industrial　development　and　growing　national　unity；　Canada's　relations　with　the　Empire；　with　her　sister　democracy　across　the　border；　and　with　foreign　states；　took　on　new　importance　and　divided　interest　with　the　changes　in　her　internal　affairs。

From　being　a　state　wherein　the　mother　country　exercised　control　and　the　colonies　yielded　obedience　the　Empire　was　rapidly　being　transformed　into　a　free　and　equal　partnership　of　independent　commonwealths　under　one　king。　Out　of　the　clash　of　rival　theories　and　conflicting　interests　a　new　ideal　and　a　new　reality　had　developed。　The　policy　of　imperial　cooperationthe　policy　whereby　each　great　colony　became　independent　of　outside　control　but　voluntarily　acted　in　concert　with　the　mother　country　and　the　sister　states　on　matters　of　common　concernsought　to　reconcile　liberty　and　unity；　nationhood　and　empire；　to　unite　what　was　most　practicable　in　the　aims　of　the　advocates　of　independence　and　the　advocates　of　imperial　federation。　The　movement　developed　unevenly。　At　the　outbreak　of　the　Great　War；　it　was　still　incomplete。　The　ideal　was　not　always　clearly　or　consciously　held　in　the　Empire　itself　and　was　wholly　ignored　or　misunderstood　in