. For years they stuck so closely to their
nation-building that they had no time to stand back and view the size
of the edifice of their own structure, but all that is different
to-day. When four hundred thousand people a year flock to the Dominion
to cast in their lot with Canadians, there is testimony of worth.
Canadians know their destiny is upon them, whatever it may be; and they
are meeting the challenge half-way with faces to the front. In the
words of Sir Wilfred Laurier, they know that "the Twentieth Century is
Canada's." What will they do with it? What are their aims and desires
as a people? Will the same ideals light the path to the fore as have
illumined the long hard way in the past? Will Canada absorb into her
national life the people who are coming to her, or will they absorb her?

[1] Canada's area is 3,750,000 square miles. The area of Europe is
3,797,410 square miles.

[2] Canada's railway mileage at the end of 1913 was 29,303.53. The
land grants to Canadian railroads, Dominion and provincial, stand
55,256,429 acres. Cash subsidies to railroads in Canada up to June 30,
1913, stand thus: from the Dominion, $163,251,469.42; from the
provinces, $36,500,015.16; from the municipalities, $18,078,673.60.

[3] The tonnage through both Canadian and U. S. canals at the "Soo" in
1913 was 72,472,676, of which 39,664,874 went through the Canadian
canal.

[4] The U. S. Census reports place the number of Canadians in the
United States at one and a quarter million; but this is obviously far
below the mark. Canada's loss of people shows that. For instance,
from 1898 to 1908, Canada was receiving immigrants at a rate exceeding
200,000 a year, yet the census for this decade showed a gain of only a
million. It was not till 1914 her census showed a gain of two million
for ten years. Her immigrants either went back or drifted over the
line. Port figures show that few went back to Europe.

CHAPTER II

FOUNDATION FOR HOPE

I

Canada at the opening of the twentieth century has the same population
as the United States at the opening of the nineteenth century.[1] Has
the Dominion any material justification for her high hopes of a world
destiny? Switzerland possesses national consciousness to an acute
degree. Yet Switzerland remains a little people. What ground has
Canada for measuring her strength with the nations of the world?
Having remained almost stationary in her national progress from 17