the canadian dominion-第32章

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ed　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　Europe　and　even　in　the　United　States。　Yet　in　twenty　years'　space　it　had　become　dominant　in　practice　and　theory　and　had　built　up　a　new　type　of　political　organization；　a　virtual　league　of　nations；　fruitful　for　the　future　ordering　of　the　world。

The　three　fields　in　which　this　new　policy　was　worked　out　were　trade；　defense；　and　political　organization。　Canada　had　asserted　her　right　to　control　her　tariff　and　commercial　treaty　relations　as　she　pleased。　Now　she　used　this　freedom　to　offer；　without　asking　any　return　in　kind；　tariff　privileges　to　the　mother　country。　In　the　first　budget　brought　down　by　the　Minister　of　Finance　in　the　Laurier　Cabinet；　William　S。　Fielding；　a　reduction；　by　instalments；　of　twenty…five　per　cent　in　tariff　duties　was　offered　to　all　countries　with　rates　as　low　as　Canada'sthat　is；　to　the　United　Kingdom　and　possibly　to　the　Netherlands　and　New　South　Wales。　The　reduction　was　meant　both　as　a　fulfilment　of　the　Liberal　party's　free　trade　pledges　and　as　a　token　of　filial　good　will　to　Britain。　It　was　soon　found　that　Belgium　and　Germany；　by　virtue　of　their　special　treaty　rights；　would　claim　the　same　privileges　as　Britain；　and　that　all　other　countries　with　most　favored　nation　clauses　could　then　demand　the　same　rates。　This　might　serve　the　free　trade　aims　of　the　Fielding　tariff　but　would　block　its　imperial　purpose。　If　this　purpose　was　to　be　achieved；　these　treaties　must　be　denounced。　To　effect　this　was　one　of　the　tasks　Laurier　undertook　in　his　first　visit　to　England　in　1897。

The　Diamond　Jubilee　of　Queen　Victoria；　celebrating　the　sixtieth　anniversary　of　her　reign；　was　made　the　occasion　for　holding　the　third　Colonial　Conference。　It　was　attended　by　the　Premiers　of　all　the　colonies。　Among　them　Wilfrid　Laurier；　or　Sir　Wilfrid　as　he　now　became；　stood　easily　preeminent。　In　the　Jubilee　festivities；　among　the　crowds　in　London　streets　and　the　gatherings　in　court　and　council；　his　picturesque　and　courtly　figure；　his　unmistakable　note　of　distinction；　his　silvery　eloquence；　and；　not　least；　the　fact　that　this　ruler　of　the　greatest　of　England's　colonies　was　wholly　of　French　blood；　made　him　the　lion　of　the　hour。　In　the　Colonial　Conference；　presided　over　by　Joseph　Chamberlain；　the　new　Colonial　Secretary；　Laurier　achieved　his　immediate　purpose。　The　British　Government　agreed　to　denounce　the　Belgian　and　German　treaties；　now　that　the　preference　granted　her　came　as　a　free　gift　and　not　as　part　of　a　bargain　which　involved　Britain's　abandonment　of　free　trade。　The　other　Premiers　agreed　to　consider　whether　Canada's　preferential　tariff　policy　could　be　followed。　Chamberlain　in　vain　urged　defense　and　political　policies　designed　to　centralize　power　in　London。　He　praised　the　action　of　the　Australian　colonies　in　contributing　money　to　the　British　navy　but　could　get　no　promise　of　similar　action　from　the　others。　He　urged　the　need　of　setting　up　in　London　an　imperial　council；　with　power　somewhat　more　than　advisory　and　likely　〃to　develop　into　something　still　greater；〃　but　for　this　scheme　he　elicited　little　support。　After　the　Conference　Sir　Wilfrid　visited　France　and　in　ringing　speeches　in　Paris　did　much　to　pave　the　way　for　the　good　understanding　which　later　developed　into　the　entente　cordiale。

The　glitter　and　parade　of　the　Jubilee　festivities　soon　gave　way　to　a　sterner　phase　of　empire。　For　years　South　Africa　had　been　in　ferment　owing　to　the　conflicting　interests　of　narrow；　fanatical；　often　corrupt　Boer　leaders；　greedy　Anglo…Jewish　mining　magnates；　and　British　statesmen…Rhodes；　Milner；　Chamberlaindominated　by　the　imperial　idea　and　eager　for　an　〃all…red〃　South　Africa。　Eventually　an　impasse　was　reached　over　the　question　of　the　rights　and　privileges　of　British　subjects　in　the　Transvaal　Republic。　On　October　9；　1899；　President　Kruger　issued　his　fateful　ultimatum　and　war　began。

What　would　be　Canada's　attitude　toward　this　imperial　problem？　She　had　never　before　taken　part　in　an　overseas　war。　Neither　her　own　safety　nor　the　safety　of　the　mother　country　was　considered　to　be　at　stake。　Yet　war　had　not　been　formally　declared　before　a　demand　arose　among　Canadians　t