CANADIAN POLITICS. RECIPROCITY THE ISSUE. FEAR OF ANNEXATION. A BITTER CAMPAIGN. COIN FROM UNITED STATES AND ENGLAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 62, 11 September 1911, Page 9

CANADIAN POLITICS. RECIPROCITY THE ISSUE. FEAR OF ANNEXATION. A BITTER CAMPAIGN. COIN FROM UNITED STATES AND ENGLAND.

[*SOM Otta OWN CORRESPONfiRNT.] SAN FftANGISCO, 9th August. If the people of Canada in the general election now being contested pro. nounoo adversely to tariff reciprocity with the United State* it will be chiefly because of the. Icar that political annexation would follow the adoption of that policy". It is by playing on that fear that the Opposition, led by Robert L. Borden, hopes to shatter the powerful party of Sir Wilfrid Laufier and climb into power. Evidently, tho Gov~ ernftienl has na fear of the outcome. When Parliament assembled! to consider the treaty Sir Wilfrid announced that unless a speedy vote were taken the country would be appealed to. After a few days of debate the GoVeTBUjr-llensfal oti his advica dissolved the Parliament Annexation* as the sole issue has already been raised by the OppOiilioA through out the Dominion. In the United States there is Ho body of people working actively in favour of annexation, but it is a-t t-he same time true that union would be approved ttrutoimottsly. But in Canada the opposite is the case. Annexation is abhorrent to the people, and if the leader of the Oppo*ltion ahd his lieutenants can persuade the] voters that there is real danger of political union the long Iveigfi of power of Sir Wilfrid Laurie? will be At An end. Caiudisntß will dot fight out tha issue unembarrassed by extraneous influences. Both Great Britain and the United States will take an active part in fhe struggle. American, supporters of reciprocity are preparing to contribute moftey for use in the campaign, and it is said the Opposition will draw powerful financial assistance from Englisjtt opponent of the trade agreement.. i It is significant that on the very day President Taft attached his gfcnatttre to the measure there appeared m the presi of the United States a despatch from Ottawa, the Canadian capital, stating that England is prepared to spend liberally to defeat the "reoiptocity-an-l*exatiott" policy.' "The OttAwa Free Press (Liberal) announces to-night," went on the despabeh, "that a Canadian member of Parliament who has jtost returned from England, has brought from a group of tariff reformers an invitation to the Canadian opponents of reciprocity to draw upon them for 500,000 dollars for the campaign. It is understood also that the- /war chest of the Government is likely to be well lined. There are indications to-night that if England is spending money to defeat) reciprocity its American friends will meet this we*pofi by sending ample funds across the border to off-set the English contribution. It will be in Canada A contest between East ahd West— between manufacturer fnd farmer, Naturally, the wheat-grow-ing provinces west of Ontarria are for reciprocity to a man. But the superior voting strength lies in the eastern provinces. .The manufacturers and fruit* growers of those provinces do not "want United States competition, and there sentiment eeems to be against the treaty, The Canadian opponents of reciprocity are somewliat strengthened, too, by the fact that the situation presents an opportunity to the Dominion to administer a Sftub f^ her big neighbour. Previous offers of tariff treaties, have come from Canada. In this instance, however, America stands in the attitude of suppliant. It may be that Canadians will take the attitude that their offer* having been spurned in the past this is a good opportunity to give the Americans a little of their own medicine. The new Canadian Parliament will meet on, 11th October. If Sir Wilfrid Laurier and hie followers are reinstated in power reciprocity will be enacted and go into operation befefre Christmas. In the qpent of their defeat probably nothing further will be heard of reciprocity for ten years. In the Parliament just dissolved the Government had a working majority of forty. In the United States opponent's-of reciprocity assert that it will mean the emigration of hundreds of thousands of Americans to the western provinces of Canada, and they taunt Mr. Taft with being the first American President to inaugurate a policy to encourage the exporting of American men, and women. There is expected to be a rush for the unoccupied lands of the Canadian NorthWest. '