HANDS ACROSS THE LINE

Not the least of our gains in entering the great war is found in the establishment of closer relations with Canada. By appointing the former premier of Nova Scotia resident agent at Washington, the Dominion Government does away with the cumbrous system of conducting purely local or business negotiations through the British Foreign Office at London, and secures better representation of her local needs. To supplement the work of the resident agent, Premier Bordon has made several unpresaged but important visits to the United States for the correlation of our war activities, which must make more effective the movement of our united resources of men and supplies across a common ocean highway against a common enemy.

That this cordial co-operation should cease with the return of peace would be as unfortunate as it is improbable. The two countries naturally have supplementary products of industry and agriculture; their freer interchange across land boundaries which are purely artificial and water boundaries which are not barriers but highways should be furthered. Financially, we are rivalling England as Canada's largest creditor; the Dominion with its rich natural resources and universal prosperity will naturally receive a larger and larger share of our surplus capital. Politically, we can have nothing but good-will for Canada's free and democratic government, which is in many respects a model for our own. But without impugning Canada's splendid loyalty to the British Empire, we should support all agreements tending to unite more closely the great English-speaking commonwealths of North America.

For one hundred and four years the United States and Canada have lived side by side without mutual fear or suspicion; may their relation in the future be marked not only by this absence of friction, but by the positive qualities of strong mutual amity and respect.