186 ALL AFLOAT 



The explanation of this strange discrepancy 

 is to be found, partly, in geographical posi- 

 tion. The geographical position of Canada 

 differs widely from that of any other dominion. 

 She lives beside the United States, a country 

 with a population ten times greater than her 

 own, a country, moreover, which holds the 

 Monroe Doctrine as an article of faith in foreign 

 policy. This famous doctrine simply means 

 that the United States is determined to be the 

 predominant power in the whole New World 

 and to prevent any outside power from gain- 

 ing a foothold there. Consequently the United 

 States must defend, if necessary, any weaker 

 nation in America whenever it is attacked by 

 any stronger nation from outside. Of course 

 the United States would exert its power only 

 on its own terms, to which any weaker friend 

 would be obliged to submit. But so long as 

 there was no immediate danger that the public 

 could actually feel, the Monroe Doctrine pro- 

 vided a very handy argument for all those who 

 preferred to do nothing. Another peculiarity 

 of Canada's position is that she is far enough 

 away from the great powers of Europe and 

 from the black and yellow races of Africa and 

 Asia to prevent her from realizing so quickly 

 as the mother country the danger from the 



