A statement attributed to Wilfrid Laurier in 1902 pictures Canada protected by the United States Navy in the Pacific and the Royal Navy in the Atlantic. That dating is challenged because American naval strength still concentrated on the east coast, while Pacific forces lacked the infrastructure needed to guarantee Canadian security. Canadians could also regard the United States as a threat. In this interpretation, the description fits the 1920s and 1930s more closely, and its attribution to the earlier prime minister remains uncertain.
Notable Point · 1:01:51-1:03:32
Canada's naval protection depended on the date
A security claim attributed to Wilfrid Laurier is tested against American Pacific naval capacity in 1902 and the stronger position reached during the interwar years.