THE AMERICANISATION OF CANADA
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
[Correspondents are requested to keep their letters as brief as is reasonably possible. The most suitable length is that of one of our News of the Week" paragraphs. Signed letters are given a preference over those bearing a pseudonym.—Ed. TILE SPECTATOR.] [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—The article in your issue of January 31st under the above heading might well direct wide attention, for the condi- tions described are true and the subject well, but only too briefly, treated. It should be obvious to your readers that the geographical proximity of Canada to the United States is far from being the sole reason for such " Americanisation." None of the other Dominions is subject to a similar influence from an adjoining country and so Canada in this respect is unique. But there are other factors that have created the conditions described by your correspondent.
As a Birmingham man who has resided in Canada nearly twenty-three years, I should appreciate a little space to tell the other side of the story, for it is one that is possibly more unpleasant for English people in Canada than for those in ' Britain.
British capital and British export trade have both had easier access to Canada and the Canadian market than have exports and capital from the United States. But what have been the respective attitudes of the two countries ? British firms, with mighty few exceptions, have absolutely neglected the Canadian market, just as British capital to a similar degree Las-ignored Canadian enterprise. Per contra, American capital and American- exporters have seized every opportunity of serving the markets and productive field of Canada.
Apart from this 'general apathetic treatment of the Canadian market by Britain, let me point out that British export mer- chandising, at least so far as Canada is concerned, is years and years behind the American system, both in point of efficient advertising and salesmanship. Again with ran ,txceptions the presence of British goods on the Canadian maficrt is known only to the extent to which the Canadian buying r.oblie is able to rout them out.
• 'As to "American journals in Canada, their predominance is easily understood, being based upon the reason indicated in the previous paragraph. American publishers, by door-to- door canvass, gather huge numbers of subscriptions on an annual basis and even longer terms. The Canadian readers are bothered only once, namely, when payment is made, after which .they receive the publications regularly. But what abolit English journals, which all English people in Canada and most Canadians love to read ? One has to visit various book-stores and simply dig them out. More often than not the supply is exhausted and the answer of the newsagent is that future supplies may, or may not, arrive.
Coming to motion pictures, which play such a great part in modern life,* one fords that up to only a year or so ago British producers made little or no effort to please theatre- goers in Canada, as most of the pictures from Britain until the time mentioned did not commence to compare with American productions in style, lacked interest in theme, were sloppy in finish, and delighted in expounding English slang 'rather than exemplifying the beauties of the language. Did the British producers think for one moment they would please Canadian audiences by stressing slum conditions, environment of public houses, drunken acts, &c., when they had such other attractive material to offer from England ? Admittedly, the American producers have favoured resort to pistols and bandits, but such scenes have been vigorously removed 'by Canadian censors.
But one must readily give Britain credit for having made recent improvements in pictures that have come to Canada, and which are now liked so much. Yet British films lose much of their box-office value, as they are poorly advertised, with advertisements limited almost entirely to daily news- papers on' the dates that the films are being shown. Contrast the method adopted by American producers, who use the radio to broadcast in advance previews and musical selections which are heard by all members of the Canadian home. Added to this is extensive advertising in periodical magazines and newspapers, always well ahead of the arrival of the -picture. Your correspondent mentions American radio programmes; which is a hazardous subject in view of the wide variation of tastes. With the high-powered transmitters across the border, Canadians have a wide choice of stations in addition to those of the Canadian Radio Commission. Regardless of the taste of any one individual, it is safe to say that pro- grammes of poor quality do come from the United States from time to time, but such programmes are decidedly in minority. The American chains maintain progranunci of high standard as a rule. But what of British programmes reaching Canada ? Well organised Empire broadcasts, limited usually to special occasions, are excellent productions. Too much credit. cannot be given to those responsible for them in England, but programmes of this calibre by their infre- quency are in great minority. Canadian listeners using short wave receivers to pick up daily broadcasts from England direct find them quite unsuitable in comparison with American ones. They arc even disliked by a large percentage of the English population in Canada. True, advertising is excluded, but if the . listener is honestly concerned with something really good, that listener will not object to advertising of a few seconds' duration every quarter or half hour if the pro- gramme is acceptable. This explains why in Canadian homes listeners will be found tuned on American or Canadian stations. If using short wave, it is more the novelty and distances wilich they seek. There certainly is no evidence that the English programmes carry any weight in the approval of the Canadian radio public.
Your correspondent asks where all these conditions are leading. The answer unquestionably is to increased " Americanisation " of Canada, but let it be clearly under- stood that British goods are badly nceied here, so are British newspapers and periodicals, so are British films, but until the British people responsible for the exportation of these lines wake up and realise how they have neglected this valuable field, valuable not only commercially but sentimentally as the largest unit of the Empire, this " Americanisation " will continue its firm onward march.
Lastly, but of greater importance than anything discussed above (and, incidentally, omitted by your correspondent), is Canadian loyalty to Britain. If war should break out, old countrymen resident here, as with Canadians, would be back into the fighting line agaio as we were•in 1914. There can never be any mistake that " Americanisation " in Canada will always vanish instantly in the future as it has done in the past, the minute that this Dominion receives a call to arms in aid of Britain.—Yours truly,
A. E. FORTINGTON.
001 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ont., Canada.
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