EMPIRE-BUILDER AGED 92.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2678, 11 August 1913, Page 2

EMPIRE-BUILDER AGED 92.

SIR CHARLES TUPPER ON CANADA’S FUTURE. One of the long and honored roll of those who have helped co build up the British Empire, Sir Charles Tupper takes a foremost place. Born in 1824, he will see his 93rd birthday in July. Yet he carries the weight of his years without apparent effort.

Sir Charles arrived in London on Thursday night, and talked with a Daily Chronicle representative about his beloved Canada, and all that she is doing and hopes co do in the future. His mind is as fresh and as clear as ever; he speaks with ease and vivacity about the men and scenes with whom and which he has been brought into contact, and his judgments are as keen and penetrating as ever they were. • Few men living have seen greater changes; fewer still have done greater things. Sir Charles is the sole survivor of the 32 men who met at Quebec in 1864, and laid the foundation of the great Dominion. He is the last of the builders of a great nation which links West with East.

The bare mention of the public offices which Sir Charles has filled, of the great missions he has undertaken, fills pages in the reference books. His virile energy has always been an the service of his fellow-men, and now, in the evening of his days, he looks back with satisfaction on a life’s work which has borne fruit a hundredfold. —An 1840 Voyage.— “The first time I came to England wag in 1840,” he said. “1 crossed the Atlantic in a brigantine of 160 tons, and besides myself there were four men aboard. We were 40 days getting from St. John to Lough Foyle. “There was no railway from Glasgow to Edinburgh, where I went to study medicine. I took the degree of M.D. in 1843, so I think I must be the oldest graduate of the university. I remember very well coming to Loudon on a coach, and also that it took me two days and a night to travel from Boulogne to Paris.” “You were one of the 32 founders of the Dominion. Have your anticipations been fulfilled?” “Results have surpassed my most sanguine expectations. Canada will become the most important power in North America. Her life as a nation is only just beginning. She is making gigantic strides now. She will make greater strides in the future.” “In spite of the disabilities of her climate P” “Her climate is one of her great advantages. It makes men. If you study the history of the world, you will see that the men from the cold North have always ruled it. The Southern races have always gone under. Then you must remember that the United States would not have had 14,000,000 negroes were it not for the warmth of some of ■ the Southern States; and these are increasing, while the native American whites are decreasing. We have been saved that great problem. —Nearest Route West. — “But it is a mistake to suppose that Canada is Arctic. Take Britisn Columbia, for instance. Her climate is almost exactly like thao of England; and her natural resources axe so great that she is bound to become one of the most important parts of the Dominion. “We are becoming the great highway between the East and Wesc. We shall soon have three trans-continental railway lines working, and you must remember that New York is a thousand miles nearer Asia by way of the Canadian Pacific and Vancouver than by any port in the States. “Seward knew tins, and he abrogated xhe Elgin Treaty in order to force Canada to join the United States. I do not believe we should have been able to induce Nova Scotia to Join the Dominion if this had not At that time we were entirely cut off from the rest of Canada. The foundation of the Dominion saved Canada for the Empire.” “But your relations with the United Stales are good now?” “Oh, yes, better than ever they were. I do not know of a single outstanding point of difference. Hundreds of thousands of people from the States come over into Canada every year and settle down; and they make good Canadians, too. They find that the law is better administered with us than it is with them, and that there is greater security of life and property. “The new American tariff will increase trade between us. When I was opposing the Reciprocity Treaty I said that the Democrats would come into power, and then we should get all that the Reciprocity Treaty offered without giving anything in return. That is exactly what has happened.” —No Dictating to Britain. — “Will the reductions in the United States tariff make any difference to the preference given to Great Britain ?” “Not the slightest. That will continue as usual. Of course, my views on tariffs are well known. 1 should like to see Great; Britain give us a preference in her own markets. But who have not the remotest desire to dictate to this country. Her tariff arrangements are entirely her own affair.” “The absence of preference in the homo markets will not make any difference in the relations between Canada and the Mother Country?”

“None whatever. The feeling of loyalty to the Empire is stronger in Canada than it ever was before.” “Does the Home Rule question attract much attention in Canada?”

“Not to any large extent; and so far as I am concerned. I do not care to discuss what is a controverted question. When Mr T. P. O’Connor was last in Canada, ho said that all that Ireland asked for was to be put in the same relation to the Imperial Parliament as a Canadian province is to the Dominion Parliament. If that is all Home Rule means, there can be no great objection to it. But so far as I have studied the Home Rule Bill, I think it goes farther than this, and I am afraid there will be greater difficulties in working it than we have found with our provincial assemblies. However, this is a matter for the- United Kingdom to decide.’ 5 “Will the opening of the Panama Canal make much difference to Canada? 5 ’ “It will be of the utmost value to British Columbia, bringing her much nearer to Europe. Ido not think it will make any other difference to us.”