bout de papier, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1984) — June 1984 // Juin 1984, p. 15
I wish to note the omission from articles focussing on the development of Canada’s relations with the Pacific of any mention of the Canadian presence in eastern Siberia in the period of 1918-19. In automatic response to a British request, a 4000-man Canadian Expeditionary Force was sent to Vladivostok in October, 1918, to form the major part of the British Siberian contingent. During the same period, a Canadian trade office was opened in that city headed by Dana Wilgress (who, if my memory serves me correctly, began a great Canadian foreign service tradition by marrying a local girl).
The Expeditionary Force was returned to Canada less than eight months after its arrival in Siberia, and in opposition to the express wishes of the British Government. The episode made a significant contribution to the emergence of an independent Canadian foreign policy and prompted Winston Churchill to conclude in the Force’s epitaph, “I cannot help being sorry that Canada has not been able a little to help us in bringing about . . . results”
William T. Warden Canadian High Commission, Delhi
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1984) — June 1984 // Juin 1984, p. 15. Read the rest of this issue →
