Bad-Neighbor Policy

Canadians share the United States’ longest border, speak the same language, help defend the continent, welcome Americans into their proud nation with civility and genuine friendship, and just happen to be the biggest U.S. trading partner. Without the Canadians, the U.S. trade deficit would have been $13 billion worse than it was in 1985. And some would think this the ultimate test of international compatibility: Canadians even play Major League Baseball.

So why does this country’s government seem to have such a zest for bashing Canadians?

Washington has hit Ottawa unfairly on a number of trade issues. The United States constantly abuses its friendship with Canada by deprecating the latter’s concern over acid rain and the contribution that U.S. smokestacks make to that problem. The Reagan Administration made grand promises to the Canadians a year ago of a real campaign to control the pollutants that contribute to acid rain. But Washington has failed to live up to that commitment, and Canadian officials rightly feel betrayed.

And now comes Secretary of the Interior Donald P. Hodel to express outrage that Canada would object to a proposal, highly controversial in this country, to drill for oil in the U.S. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. Hodel, a former energy secretary, suggested that by objecting to the drilling the Canadians are plotting to undermine U.S. energy capabilities for their own economic advantage--so that they can sell their surplus hydro power, oil and gas to Americans.

The acid-rain fuss is part of the plot, Hodel suggested, arguing that new pollution controls on American power plants will make U.S. electricity so expensive that the United States will have to buy even more from Canada. Could Machiavelli have conceived of such a wonderfully devious plot? Of course, Canada still manages to market its power even though it has been installing such pollution controls for years.

The Canadians, who have a tradition of great respect for their environment, have a natural interest in this issue. The American refuge targeted for drilling adjoins Canada’s Northern Yukon National Park. The Porcupine caribou herd migrates back and forth across the border, seemingly oblivious to the national boundary. The caribou might get the picture, however, once the drilling rigs go up and oil development begins polluting the Arctic wilderness.

Shame, shame, Mr. Hodel. Apologies are in order. This is not Albania on the northern border. These people are America’s friends, or try to be. And in the next energy crisis Americans may be quite grateful to have access to their oil, gas and hydro power.