r behind New Zealand and Australia, both of
whom were doing much more, in proportion to their wealth and population.

There was a very natural curiosity to see what Canada would do, because
she was much the senior of the other dominions, while in size, wealth,
and population she practically equalled all three of them together. But
whatever the expectations were, they were doomed to disappointment, for,
while she was last in starting, she did not reach any decisive result at
all. Australia, New Zealand--and even South Africa, so lately the scene
of a devastating war--each gave money, while Canada gave none. New
Zealand, with only one-seventh of Canada's population, gave a
Dreadnought, while Canada gave none. Australia had a battle-worthy
squadron of her own--but Canada had nothing but a mere flotilla.

{186}

The explanation of this strange discrepancy is to be found, partly, in
geographical position. 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 gaining 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 provided 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 {187} first, or so
quickly as her sister dominions the danger from the second.

For five successive years, from 1909 to 1913, the naval policy of Canada
was the subject of debate in parliament, press, and public meetings. In
1909 the building programme for the German navy brought on a debate in
the Imperial parliament which found an echo throughout the Empire. The
Canadian par