Homesteading 



ships. I think you will see that between the 

 old mother and her two daughters, as I call them, 

 there is no room for any mere flag-waving, though 

 you may find even some citizens of the Great 

 Republic and Canadians who are not free from it." 



" Come to think of it, I reckon you are about 

 right," said Tom. 



" Just another word as a send-off," said I, 

 "and I've done. Between Europe and America, 

 as represented by the States and Canada, there 

 is this great difference : that so far, thanks to 

 wise statesmanship in the past, the latter has 

 been able to keep itself clear of the terrible mili- 

 tary and naval burdens Europe groans under. 

 Think of the five thousand miles of frontier 

 practically without a soldier, and compare that 

 with the state of Europe, and ask yourself how 

 it is possible in the future for her to compete 

 successfully with that continent, under such 

 conditions." 



" Yes," said Tom ; " I've heard this firework 

 business costs Europe £600,000,000 every year, 

 and, come to think of it, the handicap does seem 

 pretty big ; but they have not the population." 



" True," said I, " but they are growing by 

 leaps and bounds. However, all this sort of 

 talk won't get us across the Atlantic and on to 

 our homesteads, and here comes our big ship, 



24 



