How would the United States react to a capital-ship-sized drydock being built at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, in 1939?
Short answerIt would ask questions but probably accept an anti-Japanese explanation and seek access, because one drydock was not evidence of a threatening British fleet base.
NotesA Canadian 900-by-120-foot drydock at Prince Rupert in 1939 would probably prompt extended diplomatic discussion. A dock alone does not create a major fleet base without warehouses, supplies and other infrastructure. Britain and Canada could plausibly justify the facility as insurance against Japan after repeated regional tensions. Close Anglo-American trade and communication are offered as reasons to expect shared access rather than a naval confrontation over the project.