Escape Hatch

Description

"Beggars cannot be choosers. We wanted just companies, we gave a damn who they were, we had no prejudice against them. We went to Germany because Europe was scared of Soviet Russia and saw a communist revolution coming. The German industrialists were particularly scared. In 1950 I was the first public visitor who came to Germany from any country. The leaders of the German companies all spoke excellent English. I was impressed. I took every opportunity to speak to them and tell them that they should come to Newfoundland: "I've got an escape hatch for you, get established in my part of Canada, start a branch of your company in Newfoundland so you can have an escape hatch." It was shrewd on my part. It fitted their mood.— Joseph R. Smallwood After Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949, Premier J.R. Smallwood believed that industrialization would prevent a mass exodus from the economically backward province to mainland Canada in search of employment. Escape Hatch traces...