Air University Review, January-February 1967

A Salute to Canada

The Honorable Harold Brown,
Secretary of the Air Force

This year marks the Hundredth Anniversary of Canada’s existence as a federation. On 1 July 1867 the British North America Act created a union of four provinces forming the nucleus for Canada’s transcontinental expansion.

The United States Air Force is proud to join Canadians everywhere in celebrating their Centennial. It has been a century of unparalleled progress in economic, social, and political development. Today Canada stands as one of the world’s great trading nations, with a superb reservoir of natural resources and a growing industrial base. Her influence in international affairs is probably unequaled by any other nation of comparable population.

For many years Canada and the United States have been valued and trusted friends. Our common border has been undefended for generations, and we have formed arrangements for mutual defense that are more extensive than either country has with any other. Military people of both nations are accustomed to working together, sharing their experiences, knowledge, and ideas.

Relations between Canada and the United States have not always been as cordial as during the last half century. We remember the War of 1812, though perhaps recollections of certain actions in that war—the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, for example—evoke less enthusiasm on this side of the border than on the other. But a Canadian historian has observed that, in retrospect, the War of 1812 was for all participants one of the most satisfying in history: Canada knew she won it on land, the United States knew she won it at sea, and the British have forgotten it ever happened.

Even during that war and the various boundary disputes that extended over much of the nineteenth century, our relations, though sometimes rather turbulent, rested on a foundation of shared ideals and mutual respect. An incident that took place during the War of 1812 is symbolic. The town of Calais, Maine, found itself short of gunpowder for a Fourth of July celebration. The people of Saint Stephen, New Brunswick, obligingly supplied powder to their Down East “enemies.”

One of our great achievements is this: for more than 150 years we have lived side by side in peace which has ripened into a deep and abiding friendship. Each has retained its unique national characteristics and separate points of view. Each has felt free at times to disagree with the other on questions of economics, use of natural resources, or international commitments, usually without rancor but always without fear of any untoward consequences. Nearly a century ago the Canadian-American International Joint Commission replaced early nineteenth century martello towers and limestone ramparts bristling with 24-pounders as a means of defending our respective interests.

It is inevitable, and in many cases desirable, that differences between Canada and the United States will continue. These differences are the product of similar but not identical histories, governmental systems, cultural influences, economic resources, and views of our respective national interests and responsibilities toward the world community. The diversity that exists between us enriches both.

Geography and a heritage of shared basic ideas make it equally inevitable that the scope of interests which unite us will remain the broadest that either shares with another country, while the range of issues on which we are not in complete agreement probably will remain the narrowest. Our common interests include trade, defense production sharing, research and development cooperation (both military and nonmilitary), technical and economic assistance to less developed nations, unilateral and multilateral work to maintain peace, and membership in such organizations as NORAD, NATO, and the United Nations.

I do not propose to comment on those issues which Canada and the United States view in somewhat different perspective. Our professional interest in defense and foreign affairs will have acquainted most of us with the American assessment of these issues. I hope that the Canadian authors of the articles in this series will explain some Canadian points of view with which we may be less familiar and perhaps comment on American policies and practices which are not fully shared by their country.

In both our countries the character of armed forces is set by popularly determined national policies and objectives. It is important that Canadian and American military people understand not only each other’s defense structure, policies, and procedures but also the specific purposes which they are designed to serve and the rationale behind those purposes. In this light, we shall be observing the reorganization and restructuring of the Canadian armed forces with great interest, just as Canadians have watched our organizational evolution during the past six years.

Our two countries have set up elaborate machinery for consultation and coordination in many fields. The formal machinery is most effective as it is backed by the widest possible official and public appreciation of our similarities and differences. I think we must admit that Canadians generally are better informed about our affairs and objectives than are we about theirs. One of the purposes of this series of articles is to achieve a more equitable balance of understanding.

As Canada begins her second century of federation, we look forward to the continued stimulus of the unique association shared by our countries. Both nations are at once independent and interdependent, similar yet different in culture, economic goals, and political objectives. We live under different flags, but neither people regards the other as foreign.

On both sides of the border there is much reason for pride in the maturity and benevolence of our relationship. These qualities have grown out of mutual understanding and good will, but most of all from mutual respect.

Washington, D.C.

Contributor

The Honorable Harold Brown (Ph.D., Columbia University) has been Secretary of the Air Force since October 1965 and had been Director of Defense Research and Engineering, Department of Defense, from May 1961 to September 1965. During the period 1947-52 Dr. Brown lectured in physics at Columbia University and Stevens Institute of Technology; spent a year in postdoctoral research at Columbia; and in 1950 joined the University of California Radiation Laboratory at Berkeley as research scientist. In 1952 he joined the staff of Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Livermore, California, and in 1960 became its Director. He was a consultant to the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, 1956-57, and a member of the Board, 1958-61. He was a member of the Polaris Steering Committee, 1956-58. He was Senior Scientific Advisor to the U.S. Delegation to the Conference on Discontinuance of Nuclear Weapons Tests, November 1958—February 1959; and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Ballistic Missiles to the Secretary of Defense, 1958-61. After serving as consultant to several panels of the President’s Science Advisory Committee, 1958-60, he was appointed a member of the Committee in 1961. Dr. Brown’s research interests have included nuclear explosive design and application. He has conducted research and analysis in the detection of nuclear explosions and has participated in studies of arms limitation and control.

Disclaimer

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.

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