New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-21
SALISBURY And RECIPROCITY.

The laurels of Secretary Blaine do not suffer
Lord Salisbury to sleep. His speech at Hast
ings discloses his appreciation of the successful
opcration of Reciprocity abroad and OF Eng
lands inability to take advantage of the same
policy "While nations he remarks, are
negotiating to obtain each others favor none
is anxious about the favor of Great Britain, be
cause Great Britain has stripped itself of the
armOr and weapons with which the battle is
70 be fought" He neglected to offer iustra-
tons from recent experience, but these may
be readily supplied. Germany, Austra-liun-
gary and Italy have formed Continental Zoll-
verein To which their naval ally, England, can
not be admitted. The United States has al
ready Reciprocity convention with Germany
and is negotiating one with Austria Hungary
France with its maximum and minimum sched-
ulos has a base of operations for dealing with
foreign countries, and has made treaty with
the United States. On the American Con-
tncnt the United states has entered into a
series of Reciprocity conventions with Brazil
the Spanish West Indies Central America, San
Domingo and the British West Indies Mean
while. England's Prime Minister has been
powelless to compete with foreign nations IL
this field of commercial diplomacy.
This is the situation which has opened Lord
Salisbury eyes To the hclplCssness of Free
Trade country when all the world is lcagucd
against it on ProtcctioniSt lines. He warns
Englishmen that while loyalty to the Free
Trade cause may be a noble and beautiful
virtue, cit is not buslnc,slikc.' "On these
terms" he says bluntly, "you will and do get
nothing. If you intend to hold your own III
this conflict Of tariffs you must be prepared t.
refuse nations who injure you access to your
own markets" Then he proceeds to argue that
while England has reason to complain chiefly
of the United States. it cannot defend itself
without iniuring itself. since its food supplies
and manufacturing stock are drawn from that
quarter. lie contends, however, that while il
would be manifesly inexpcdicnt for England
TO raise the price OF food and raw material
there is an enormous mass of imports, such as
wine, spirits, silk, gloves and laces from coun-
tries besides the United States, "of which a
diminished supply could be riskod in order to
secure access to the markets of our neighbours .
Obviously, what Lord Salisbury wants is an
opportunity for initiating the American Reel
procity policy If duties could be increased OF
restored upon such articles as he mentions, he
thinks that he would be armed with power To
negotiate commercial conventions on the basis
of free market for wine, spirits, silk, gloves
and laces. What he wants is Fair Trade as
distinguished from Free Trade and he ndi-
Gates the reimposition of duties with Reel
procity behind it as the future landmarks of
the economic progress of England. The propo-
stion is bold one and menaces him, as he
confesses. with accommodation from the
Free Trade fold but he offers it in good faith
as sound business policy. Americans can
hardly fail to be impressed with the sgni6-
canoe of the confession. 1t is not every day
that an English Prime Minister proclaims Free