the canadian dominion-第41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！


the　Canadian　representatives　as　a　compromise；　and　its　judicial　character　is　certainly　open　to　some　doubt。　But　it　was　on　the　third　finding　that　the　thunders　broke。　The　United　States　had　contended　that　the　Portland　Channel　of　the　treaty　makers　ran　south　of　four　islands　which　lay　east　of　Prince　of　Wales　Island；　and　Canada　that　it　ran　north　of　these　islands。　Lord　Alverstone；　after　joining　in　a　judgment　with　the　Canadian　commissioners　that　it　ran　north；　suddenly；　without　any　conference　with　them；　and；　as　the　wording　of　the　award　showed；　by　agreement　with　the　United　States　representatives；　announced　that　it　ran　where　no　one　had　ever　suggested　it　could　run；　north　of　two　and　south　of　two；　thus　dividing　the　land　in　dispute。　The　islands　were　of　little　importance　even　strategically；　but　the　incontrovertible　evidence　that　instead　of　a　judicial　finding　a　political　compromise　had　been　effected　was　held　of　much　importance。　After　a　time　the　storm　died　down；　but　it　revealed　one　unmistakable　fact：　Canadian　nationalism　was　growing　fully　as　fast　as　Canadian　imperialism。

The　relations　between　Canada　and　the　United　States　now　came　to　show　the　effect　of　increasingly　close　business　connections。　The　northward　trek　of　tens　of　thousands　of　American　farmers　was　under　way。　United　States　capitalists　began　to　invest　heavily　in　farm　and　timber　lands。　Factory　after　factory　opened　a　Canadian　branch。　Ten　years　later　these　investments　exceeded　six　hundred　millions。　In　the　West；　James　J。　Hill　was　planning　the　expansion　of　the　Great　Northern　system　throughout　the　prairie　provinces　and　was　securing　an　interest　in　the　great　Crow's　Nest　Pass　coal　fields。　Tourist　travel　multiplied。　The　two　peoples　came　to　know　each　other　better　than　ever　before；　and　with　knowledge　many　prejudices　and　misunderstandings　vanished。　Canada's　growing　prosperity　did　not　merely　bring　greater　individual　intercourse；　it　made　the　United　States　as　a　whole　less　patronizing　in　its　dealings　with　its　neighbor　and　Canada　less　querulous　and　thin…skinned。

In　this　more　favorable　temper　many　old　issues　were　cleared　off　the　slate。　The　northeastern　fisheries　question；　revived　by　a　conflict　between　Newfoundland　and　the　United　States　as　to　treaty　privileges；　was　referred　to　the　Hague　Court　in　1909。　The　verdict　of　the　arbitrators　recognized　a　measure　of　right　in　the　contentions　of　both　sides。　A　detailed　settlement　was　prescribed　which　was　accepted　without　demur　in　the　United　States；　Newfoundland；　and　Canada　alike。　Pelagic　sealing　in　the　North　Pacific　was　barred　in　1911　by　an　international　agreement　between　the　United　States；　Great　Britain；　Japan；　and　Russia。　Less　success　attended　the　attempt　to　arrange　joint　action　to　regulate　and　conserve　the　fisheries　of　the　Great　Lakes　and　the　salmon　fisheries　of　the　Pacific；　for　the　treaty　drawn　up　in　1911　by　the　experts　from　both　countries　failed　to　pass　the　United　States　Senate。

But　the　most　striking　development　of　the　decade　was　the　businesslike　and　neighborly　solution　found　for　the　settlement　of　the　boundary　waters　controversy。　The　growing　demands　for　the　use　of　streams　such　as　the　Niagara；　the　St。　Lawrence；　and　the　Sault　for　power　purposes；　and　of　western　border　rivers　for　irrigation　schemes；　made　it　essential　to　take　joint　action　to　reconcile　not　merely　the　conflicting　claims　from　the　opposite　sides　of　the　border　but　the　conflicting　claims　of　power　and　navigation　and　other　interests　in　each　country。　In　1905　a　temporary　waterways　commission　was　appointed；　and　four　years　later　the　Boundary　Waters　Treaty　provided　for　the　establishment　of　a　permanent　Joint　High　Commission；　consisting　of　three　representatives　from　each　country；　and　with　authority　over　all　cases　of　use；　obstruction；　or　diversion　of　border　waters。　Individual　citizens　of　either　country　were　allowed　to　present　their　case　directly　before　the　Commission；　an　innovation　in　international　practice。　Still　more　significant　of　the　new　spirit　was　the　inclusion　in　this　treaty　of　a　clause　providing　for　reference　to　the　Commission；　with　the　consent　of　the　United　States　Senate　and　the　Dominion　Cabinet；　of　any　matter　whatever　at　issue　between　the　two　countries。　With　little　discussion　and　as　a　matter　of　course；　the　two　democracies；　in　the　closing　years　of　a　full　century　of　peace；　thus　made　provision　for　the　sane　and　friendly　settlement　of　future　line…fence　disputes。

The　chief　barrier　to　good　relations　was　the　customs　tariff。　Protectionism；　and　the　attitude　of　which　it　was　born　and　which　it　bred　in　turn；　was　still　firmly　entrenched　in　both　countries。　Tariff　bars；　it　is　true；　had　not　been　able　to　prevent　the　rapid　growth　of　trade；　imports　from　the　United　States　to　Canada　had　grown　especially　fast　and　Canada　now　ranked　third　in　the　list　of　the　Republic's　customers。　Yet　in　many　ways　the　tariff　hindered　free　intercourse。　Though　every　dictate　of　self…interest　and　good　sense　demanded　a　reduction　of　duties；　Canada　would　not　and　did　not　take　the　initiative。　Time　and　again　she　had　sought　reciprocity；　only　to　have　her　proposals　rejected；　often　with　contemptuous　indifference。　When　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier　announced　in　1900　that　there　would　be　no　more　pilgrimages　to　Washington；　he　voiced　the　almost　unanimous　opinion　of　a　people　whose　pride　had　been　hurt　by　repeated　rebuffs。

Meanwhile　protectionist　sentiment　had　grown　stronger　in　Canada。　The　opening　of　the　West　had　given　an　expanding　market　for　eastern　factories　and　had　seemingly　justified　the　National　Policy。　The　Liberals；　the　traditional　upholders　of　freer　trade；　after　some　initial　redemptions　of　their　pledges；　had　compromised　with　the　manufacturing　interests。　The　Conservatives；　still　more　protectionist　in　temper；　voiced　in　Parliament　little　criticism　of　this　policy；　and　the　free　trade　elements　among　the　farmers　were　as　yet　unorganized　and　inarticulate。　Signs　of　this　protectionist　revival；　which　had　in　it；　as　in　the　seventies；　an　element　of　nationalism；　were　many。　A　four…story　tariff　was　erected。　The　lowest　rates　were　those　granted　the　United　Kingdom；　then　came　the　intermediate　tariff；　for　the　products　of　countries　giving　Canada　special　terms；　next　the　general　tariff；　and；　finally；　the　surtax　for　use　against　powers　discriminating　in　any　special　degree　against　the　Dominion。　The　provinces　one　by　one　forbade　the　export　of　pulp　wood　cut　on　Crown　Lands；　in　order　to　assure　its　manufacture　into　wood　pulp　or　paper　in　Canada。　The　Dominion　in　1907　secured　the　abrogation　of　the　postal　convention　made　with　the　United　States　in　1875　providing　for　the　reciprocal　free　distribution　of　second　class　mail　matter　originating　in　the　other　country。　This　step　was　taken　at　the　instance　of　Canadian　manufacturers；　alarmed　at　the　effect　of　the　advertising　pages　of　United　States　magazines　in　directing　trade　across　the　line。　Yet　even　with　such　developments；　the　Canadian　tariff　remained　lower　than　its　neighbor's。

In　the　United　States　the　tendency　was　in　the　other　direction。　With　the　growth　of　cities；　the　interests　of　the　consumers　of　foods　outweighed　the　influence　of　the　producers。　Manufacturers　in　many　cases　had　reached　the　export　stage；　where　foreign　markets；　cheap　food；　and　cheap　raw　materials　were　more　necessary　than　a　protected　home　market。　The　〃muckrakers〃　were　at　the　height　of　their　activity；　and　the