The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.1964, Blaðsíða 18

16
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Autumn 1964
realized that Canada could not be
neutral, and as a consequence we have
always been active on the side of
justice as we saw it. Our sacrifices and
contributions to other nations have
been very large indeed, when it is re-
membered that we only have two-thirds
of one percent of the population of the
world.
We have no aristocracy worthy of
the name and as a consequence Can-
ada is ruled and controlled by the
great middle class. We do not have any
large numbers of people who are either
extremely rich or extremely poor.
Although our population is small
we have accepted our full responsibil-
ity as a nation. Canada now is one of
the vice-presidents of the United Na-
tions, and we have taken a full part in
NATO. In the last war 42,000 Can-
adians were killed in foreign fields,
and we spent twenty billion dollars in
that patriotic effort. We are still spend-
ing two billion dollars annually for
defence.
There are those who fear that the
large investment which has been made
in Canada by our American friends
will be highly detrimental to our coun-
try. They even suggest that Canada is
owned by the people of the United
States and that we will soon become
a part of that great nation.
I have more confidence in our public
men in Canada than ito believe that it
will become possible for the United
States to rule Canada simply by the
investment of large sums of money in
our country.
Political control is quite a different
matter to the mere investment of
money and, as in the instance of Great
Britain, this becomes a political im-
possibility having in mind the present
good character of our public men.
If I have given you greater pride in
Canada, or if I have given you some
satisfactory reasons to prove ithe great-
ness of Canada, or some facts to pass
on to your children—or if I have given
you a desire to serve your community
—or even if I can send you away with
a feeling that you are glad to be a Can-
adian, that will be my adequate
reward.