Canada—New World Defence Key

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 15 (Supplement)

Canada—New World Defence Key

CANADA, spending nearly £1,000,000 every 24 hours to pursue her war, is providing elaborate coastal and harbour fortifications for the eastern seaboard, the nation's most vulnerable 'area; United States, under a 99-year lease in return for helping Britain with muchneeded destroyers, is mapping extensive bases in waters at Newfoundland. To-day these two great countries are closer than at any time in history

Practically since the war began the United States has slanted its preparedness plans towards the security of Canada on the theory no foreign Tower must be allowed any opportunity to establish a foothold on this continent. Close Co-operation

To that end, the United States began a series of mighty air and naval bases in Alaska, at Fairbanks, Anchorage, Kodiak Island, Dutch Harbour, Sitka. Simnltaneously, Canada sent troops to Iceland, potential enemy air base, just a long hop from German-occupied Norway, and began shipbuilding which to-day has doubled the size of the Canadian navy in ships, increased it many times in manpower.

Canada also is building aerodromes from coast to coast from which Uncle Sam's 'planes might well take off some day, along with Canadian, in event of attack. The co-operation of the two i-ountries is close.

Finally, as further recognition of the part Canada plays as defence key to North America, the United States lias meshed its economic plans with the Dominion. It started a stream of materials and machines north.

When the British were unable to deliver 'plane engines for the great Commonwealth air training programme at the time of the blitz through France and the Low Countries, the Dominion purchased 5000 aeroplane engines in the United States.

President Roosevelt first pictured for Americans the reality of Canada as a key to the defence of the entire Continent when he said the United States would resist any invasion of this country. To-day both countries are meshing their gigantic defence plans on precisely that thesis, states the author of this article, condensed from the "Vancouver Daily Province."

By Lawrence Somerville

So the two great countries, the Dominion and the United States, make a formidable partnership. Apparently, the United States, with 130,000,000 population, better settled, better developed, is the bigger partner. But is it? Well, there are many ways to answer the question. But whatever your answer, Canada emerges as a big key to New World defence. Canada is a mighty land, third largest country in the world in area . Only Russia and China are larger. Wealth of Raw Materials Canada is as large as the United States and Alaska. So it is a tempting prize in the eyes of the dictators. What European nation wouldn't find leben<raum (living space) in Canada with 3.694,803 square miles of area and approximately 11.000,000 population?

And Canada has more than living space. Canada has greater per capita wealth in raw materials than any other country. It is this great wealth tuat t'ne Dominion is now drawing on ic large measure to carry on a two, three or even five vears' war if necessary.

Canada claims the world's greatest nickel and asbestos deposits, the most extensive fisheries, on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts. She is the second largest in soft wood reserves, the production of gold, third largest in coal reserves. Canada has three times as much rail transportation as she needs for normal peace time conditions. Her forests cover alx>ut a third of the total area of the nation.

Finally, her water power resources are practically unlimited, and she is one of the world's greatest granaries. Canada to-day has a wheat surplus alone exceeding 500,000,000 bushels.

So Canada is a key, economically as well as strategically. The United States has over £1.000,000,000 invested in that key, perhaps three times as much as American business has invested in any other single country. A lar<re proportion of all the mannfactuHng done in Canada is by American-controlled companies. Defence of Canada, therefore, is also defence of American interests, even before they cross tlie line.

The United States has invested in Canada, of course, because of cheap hydro-electric power and vast natural resources. Newspapers in the United States, for example, are largely produced on Canadian newsprint because pulpwood supplies are being exhausted in the States.

Canada, in turn, in some years sells more goods to the United States than to any other nation, and buy 6 more from her than from anyone else. Her annual imports in peace-time have exceeded £300.000.000. The war, of course, has greatly increased these imports. Many of the dollars American tourists bring into Canada (£20,000,000 to £100,000,000 yearly, although less in 1940) are automatically sent back to the United States for finished war products. Empire-U.S. Interpreter While Canada to-day is in the w*T to aid the Mother Country, she also understands the United States for many reasons. Geographically, economically, and to some extent culturally, Canada is a part of North America as well as the Empire, and as such is a kev to American defence.

By the same token, Canada's battle for the Empire and democratic civilisation becomes America's first line of defence. President Roosevelt again demonstrated that with the transaction involving 50 over-age destroyers and a series of vitally strategic naval bases along the Atlantic from British Guiana to Newfoundland. There can be no isolation for the United States, realistically, with Canada in the western hemisphere. For 150 years the United States has taken Canada for granted. It can no longer do that with Canada as a bulwark of ttie British Empire in this war, with the Dominion a cle-«r cut issue trader the Monroe Doctriue.