▁with ▁a ▁common ▁foreign ▁policy ▁and ▁sign alled ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁Commonwealth . ▁It ▁also ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁growing ▁g ulf ▁separ ating ▁Canada ▁and ▁Australia . ▁King ' s ▁attitude ▁towards ▁the ▁Empire ▁was ▁in com pre hens ible ▁to ▁many ▁Australian ▁obser vers . ▁The ▁young ▁R . G . ▁Case y , ▁then ▁serving ▁as ▁an ▁Australian ▁l ia ison ▁officer ▁in ▁London , ▁watched ▁the ▁Canadian ▁prime ▁minister ▁with ▁bew ilder ed ▁fasc ination : ▁ ▁" S ure ly ▁no ▁one ▁man ▁can ▁claim ▁credit ▁for ▁having ▁done ▁so ▁much ▁as ▁Mack en zie ▁King ▁to ▁damage ▁what ▁remains ▁in ▁these ▁autonom ous ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁fabric ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire . ▁His ▁efforts ▁to ▁make ▁political ▁capital ▁out ▁of ▁his ▁domestic ▁national ism ▁are ▁analog ous ▁to ▁a ▁v andal ▁who ▁pull s ▁down ▁a ▁castle ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁c ott age ." ▁ ▁The ▁subject ▁of ▁trade , ▁which ▁was ▁increasing ly ▁bound ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁debate ▁over ▁the ▁imperial ▁connection , ▁was ▁equally ▁divis ive . ▁The ▁failure ▁to ▁conclude ▁a ▁commercial ▁treat y ▁had ▁not ▁material ly ▁har med ▁bil ater al ▁trade . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁war ▁provided ▁a ▁trem end ous ▁boost ▁to ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁Canadian ▁forest ry ▁products , ▁metal ▁manufact ures ▁and ▁auto ▁parts ▁in ▁Australia . ▁However , ▁access ▁to ▁this ▁market , ▁which ▁became ▁more ▁important ▁as ▁a ▁post war ▁re cess ion ▁dep riv ed ▁Canada ▁of ▁its ▁American ▁sales ,