▁expressions ▁of ▁sympathy ▁towards ▁the ▁des ires ▁of ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Government ▁in ▁regard ▁to ▁prefer ential ▁trade ▁that ▁I ▁am ▁almost ▁incl ined ▁to ▁think ▁that ▁such ▁sent iments ▁are ▁nothing ▁more ▁than ▁empty ▁plat itudes ." ▁ ▁Laur ier ▁shared ▁his ▁trade ▁commission er ' s ▁ind ignation ▁and , ▁as ▁trade ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁began ▁to ▁show ▁evidence ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁vig our , ▁he ▁became ▁less ▁interested ▁in ▁con cluding ▁a ▁trade ▁agreement ▁with ▁Australia . ▁F ew ▁Austral ians ▁were ▁probably ▁surprised ▁by ▁Laur ier ' s ▁change ▁of ▁heart ; ▁many ▁were ▁already ▁convinced ▁that ▁" with in ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁Canada ▁[ w ould ] ▁either ▁be ▁an ▁independent ▁republic ▁or ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ." ▁Indeed , ▁with ▁their ▁broad ▁Yan kee ▁acc ents ▁and ▁popul ist ▁att itudes , ▁Canad ians ▁seemed ▁more ▁American ▁than ▁British . ▁Canada ' s ▁efforts ▁to ▁recon cile ▁these ▁two ▁influ ences ▁on ▁its ▁national ▁life ▁increasing ly ▁led ▁to ▁fr iction ▁with ▁Australia ▁over ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁relations ▁within ▁the ▁Empire . ▁The ▁imperial ▁out look ▁that ▁fost ered ▁Canada ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁Australia ▁also ▁spawn ed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁propos als ▁for ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁imperial ▁feder ation . ▁Adv oc ates ▁of ▁such ▁schemes ▁pointed ▁out ▁that ▁feder ation ▁would ▁allow ▁the ▁domin ions ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁recon cile ▁their ▁interests ▁with ▁imperial ▁foreign ▁and ▁defence ▁policy . ▁In ▁exchange , ▁they ▁would ▁assume ▁a ▁small ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁financial