Excerpt from Imperial Federation, Vol. 1: The Journal of the Imperial Federation League; January to December, 1886
The Imperial importance of the work has, been well shown by Professor Lawrence, of Cambridge, a well-known authority on International Law. He says England’s position with regard to the Egyptian question has been greatly altered by the Opening Of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A free passage through the Canal for our transports is by no means so essential to the defence of the Empire as it was a short time ago. We have, therefore, far greater liberty of action in dealing with other Powers than we had before. Now that we have an alternative route to India we may be able to purchase other advantages in the settlement of Egyptian affairs by giving our consent to an arrangement concerning the Canal which prudence would formerly have compelled us to decline. He shows that the two routes, the one via the Suez Canal, and the other via the Canadian Pacific Railway, are, as regards time, much about the same but points out important considerations in favour of the latter The route by the Canadian railways.
Open ocean. In this connection it is significant that the first goods train which passed over the line carried a ship ment of stores sent by the British Government for its naval stations on the Pacific. The Canadians are fully entitled to say, as Mr. Grant does The work is Imperial in mean ing as well as in magnitude, though the cost has been wholly defrayed by Canada. It is our contribution to the organisa tion and defence of the Empire.
The effect which the railway will have upon trade remains to be seen. Undoubtedly it will be great and beneficial. Manitobans have great expectations of being able to export directly to Liverpool by Hudson’s Bay, and of being thus independent of Chicago and Montreal alike. The British Columbians expect that a portion of the Asiatic trade will come their way, especially as the company that has built the road has announced its intention of putting on steamers to connect the Pacific terminus with the ports of Japan and China. As to the Australian trade, San Francisco is, no doubt, considerably nearer to Sydney than the British Columbian railway terminus; but the larger portion of the miscellaneous merchandise now sent from California to Australia can be just as readily provided in Canada, while lumber, which is the staple cargo of outward-bound vessels to Australia, can be shipped at a far cheaper rate, and of a better quality, atburrard Inlet than at San Francisco. The advantages of the former port to steamers for coaling purposes can hardly be over-estimated; while the greater speed at which the trans - continental journey will be made over the Canadian line, owing to its lighter grades and better construction, and the unique fact that the entire stretch from sea to sea is under the control of one company, will fully compensate for the greater length of the Pacific sea voyage. Altogether, both Canada. And the Empire have occasion for congratulation on account of the construction Of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
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