The record-union., 1898-09-09

| nation and makes it's people more in
terested in public affairs.
/ The cry is sometimes made that to
| govern outside possessions detracts
from the proper attention which should
| be given to internal affairs. But that
has not been England's experience. The
government Of our colonies has not
prevented us from giving necessary and
adequate attention to national and 10
| cal issues"
In reply to the suggestion that pos
sfbly the United States would be infu-
enced in it's attitude on the Philippine
question by intrinsic considerations
Mr.. Chamberlain said:
That question is an important one
of course, but as a rule all our colonies
pay their own way. OF course, we don't
exact anything from our colonies in the
shape Of actual tribute. They have the
spending of their own revenues and
their receipts usually are sufficient to
cover their expenditures In solitary
cases, like the West India Islands
where there was distress because Of
the failure of the sugar crop, we gave
help, but these instances are excep-
tional.
Another factor which should be
worthy of the deepest consideration is
that if you took the Philippines it
would make it manifest to the world
that you do not intend to be left out
of the Pacific and China trade The
tendency Of recent events, as you we'll
know, has been to close China, which
has hitherto been open; to close it's
ports, in fact, to the United States
and England. The efforts of the Brit
ish Government have been to keep the
ports of China open, and most assur-
edly it is to the interest of the United
states that those ports should be kept
open. Just how far the United States
Is willing to go to further her inter-
ests in that direction either by acting
herself or leaving her interests to be
taken care of by us in connection with
our own is a matter which has to be
determined
From all I can learn in my capacity
as Colonial Secretary continued Mr..
Chamberlain, significantly, 1.-The one
thing the Continental Powers are afraid
of is that an understanding should
come to pass between the United States
and England
The question of protecting American
trade interests in her possible colonies
by placing similar tariffs upon outside
imports as are imposed in this country
was preached to Mr.. Chamberlain, but
he dismissed it with this reply:
IF you become a colonial Power and
place tariffs upon foreign imports into
your possessions, I venture to say that
your colonies will not pay. In view of
the fact, however, that you have tried
tariffs here and proved the policy sue
cessful for years, 1t would not be be-
coming on my part to say anything
further on this head"
Mr.. Chamberlain's attention was then
diverted to the subject Of the talked of
alliance between the United States and
Great Britain.
Il think" he went on, that a some
what extreme view has been taken in
some quarters of the desire to estab-
lish the best friendly relations be-
tween the two nations So far as 1
understand the question, there is no
proposition Of hard and fast formal
alliance proposed. A regularly drawn
up and signed treaty is not suggested,
so far as my knowledge goes. What
the English people desire is no more
than a complete understanding and
amicable relations between the two
countries. IF we can only understand
each other better, 1 think that a per-
feet unity between the two countries
will be developed without the aid of
any formal alliance. l can say with
certainty that 80 out of every 100 peo-
pie in England are eager that there
should be some sort of tacit friendly
agreement between this nation and
yours. The English people are ready