Immigration laws in France, Belgium, and Switzerland, among other continental European countries, made it impossible for the agents of the Canadian government openly to solicit immigrants for Canada. They could, however, lecture on Canada. This postcard of a harvesting scene in Western Canada was one of a series distributed extensively through the office of Paul Wiallard, the Agent of the Canadian Government in France in 1908-1909. Over 100,000 post-cards were mailed to the school-masters of France who gave them to their students. If the student returned the card to the central office in Paris, he would receive a pocket atlas of Canada. Hopefully, this means of propaganda would interest French families in Canada and lead them to enquire about the advantages of immigration to one of the provinces of Canada. This advertising technique illustrates the problem of recruiting settlers in a country desirous of keeping its population at home, or at the very least directing emigration toward its own colonies abroad.
