There has during the week been a good deal of
comment jocular and otherwise, on the talk of the United States annexing Canada. President Taft, who lost no time in dissociating himself from the Chauvinism of Mr. Champ Clark and Mr. Bennet, alluded to the subject in a sensible speech at a Freemasons' banquet on Monday night, in which he expressed the belief that under Reciprocity the two nations would be drawn together not by political union but by closer business and social relations. He had none of
"those dreams afflicting certain people with lively imaginations, some of whom are only innocent, but others of whom have a slightly different motive from territorial aggrandisement. I haie come to know the people of Canada, to understand their aspira- tions and their belief in independence, and in their future as an independent Government. We have Alaska, Porto Rico, and the Philippines. Heaven knows we've enough, and, before we look out for other burdens and responsibilities, let us show the world that we can most perfectly bear those we have."
We hope that after this the foolish attempt to raise a scare over the vagaries of interested Congressmen will die down.
