War of words escalates between Canada, U.S.

Prime Minister Paul Martin said Wednesday he would "not be dictated to" by the United States, standing firm in his increasingly testy exchange of angry rhetoric with American officials.

Washington has called on &to=http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/368/11789_latinAmerica.html' target=_blank>Martin to calm the rhetoric against his southern neighbor _ a favorite pastime of many Canadians _ and accused him of lambasting the United States in an effort to win votes in federal elections next month.

"I am not going to be dictated to, as to the subjects that I should raise," Martin said during a visit to a sawmill in the western province of British Columbia, meant to symbolize Canada's ongoing feud with Washington over softwood lumber tariffs.