Apr. 4.
Yo appreciate the importance of the position which Canada holds to-day, one must judge her in her relations, not with Great Britain alone, but with the rest of the civilised world, Eswentially a trading country, her: economic position depends vitally upon conditions prevailing in the world at large, and especially in those countries with which She trades. As the fifth greatest trading nation, Canada has inevitably suffered from the economic depression that has swept the whole world during the last two years. Her external trade bears so high a proportion to her total production that the general decline in international trade has come in the nature of a serious chock on the growth of 80 young and vigorous a coun-
The three great industries of Canada as measured by value of production are agriculture, forestry, and mining: of these the first named is of primary. importance. Canada derives about one quarter of her total wealth from agriculture, and it provides roughly one half of her national export trade. The cou try is rich in climate and soil facilities which produce a wide variety of farm products. Forestry has suffered from the gen-Jeral: depression, and exports in {this branch of production show marked decline during 1931. The great mineral industry of Canada has been less affected, Jand Canada can now legitima ly claim to be the second largest producer of gold in the world. With regard to the East, Canada extending her markets, august, 1981, the Canadian Government established two new trading offices in the Far East; Jone at Dairen, and_one at Tien: of in economic progress alone lies the secret of Canada's advancement, Her firmly found-led growth, her relations with [Great Britain which Ied to the splendid part she played in the world war, and her membership lof the League of Nations, are Joh factors responsible for the importance of her position in the world to-day. Canada exercises complete control over her own fairs; her relations with Great tion of loyalty, result of which is 2 fine example of two nations, each with its own language and customs, working Jas one nation in harmony and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.