New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-03
PART Ii.
TWELVE PAGES.
WHAT WAS AT FIRST A DREAM AND
THEN AN IdPRACTICABLE PROB
LEM BEGINNING TO LOOK
LIKE REALITY.
London, May %.

Charles Dixie, II he had been MI Gladstone
successor as leader Of the Liberal party, would
have been the natural champion Of this cause.
for he would have brought to the solution Of
ne problem a more comprehensive knowledge
Of the resources and trend Of opinion in a world
wide empire than any other English statesman
possessed: and his lucidity of mind, constructive
ability and practical intelligence would have
equipped him for working il out stage by stage
ana process by process Lord Rosebery de-
scribed Imperial Federation twelve years ago
as the passion Of his life. but it was a dream
which fascinated his Imagination. and not
question Of practical politics which he was ever
prepared 10 discuss in detail He was content
70 create an atmosphere for it by eloquent
Messages Of after dinner oratory. and cautiously
RETAINED from producing any practical plan He
il1sriried his support Of Mr.. Gladstone's Irish
bills strangely enough. on the ground that
Home Rule would somehow bring Imperial Fed
GRAFTON with il; and he invariably left the cause
a sunIit feeCy cloud in the skies, bright and
beautiful. but remote and intangible 1denUhed
as he has been with the Federation movement
he has never made single constructive pro-
pcsal. bug has assumed that the creative impulse
must come from the colonies and that English
men meanwhile must 90 on dreaming about IT.
MIR Chanlber entered the Colonial ONCE
five years ago with q determination 10 make
great reputation as an Imperial statesman At
first he seemed 10 be II undue haste TO impress
the Empire with his energy and business ability.
He announced that many British colonies were
IN the condition Of neglected and undeveloFed
estates which could not be improved without a
juGIcious investment OF Treasury funds Moth
ing las come from that first lead except a few
d0l=s 20 ri4e British West Indies. His next PRO-
rczaI took the form OF a zoIlverein which would
restrict The operators Of free trade TO the Empire
and involve the levying Of duties In England
upon food products. Wool and other articles Of
large consumption from foreign countries. This
suggestion fell nat in England, where his free
trade Empire was pronounced a protection
league. not differing essentially either from
the American Union Or from the German En-
pire. The Jameson raid and his preliminary
negotiations with President Krtiger gave Mr.
Chamberlain little leisure for developing his
colonial policies. but when the Queens Jubilee
came on he took full advantage OF a unique
opportunity. The colonial prenlers were sum
rloned TO London in order 10 impart an Imperial
character TO 8 national fete. II brilliant
stroke but there We're immediate results ex-
cept the Canadian preferential tariff. the gift of
q barrIeship from Cape Colony and a futile
conference of the colonial premiers, who had
been elevated 10 the rank of Privy Councillors,
When the pageants had passed and the reveI
OF royalty had ended Imperial Federation re-
NAMED as before. a beautiful dream.
Mr. Chamberlain. being a wideawake states
man who. unlike Lord Rosebery, never dreams.
had been trying his hand al the problem from
several points OF view. He had proposed Treas
ury grants for the neglected estates Of the En-
pire: he had advocated a zonverein as the
strongest bond Of union for the Greater Britain;
and he had sought TO transform the Jubilee, with
is stately pageants and spectacular melodraIna-
into clearing house Of Imperial policies He
failed in ali these undertakings. Sentiment was
not business. II was apparently iupracticable
10 approach the question of Imperial unity either
on give and take principles or on the CONNER
ciaI side: and when the Right Honorable Colonial
Premiers were asked to suggest ways and means
for bringing about an Imperial political system
they warned Nj Chamberlain that premature
action would be fatal TO the cause of Federation.
He had nothing TO suggest more practical than
Colonial membership in the House Of Lords, and
the Preu1iers replied that such representation
would be Of no value since II could not be large
enough 70 exert any influence and il would
involve liability 10 Imperial taxation The
Premiers. being confronted with immense ex-
pen6itures Tor the development Of local terri
tories. were unwilling 10 pledge themselves 70
systematic support OF the navy. The invest
menu Of trust funds in colonial securities was
discussed without result, and there We're sharp
divergences OF opinion when the question of
commercial reciprocity within the Empire was
raised
Mr. Chamberlain was left at the close of the
Jubilee where he was at the opening Of his
career at the Colonial ONCE, when at dinner
IN honor Of the completion OF the Natal-Trans-
wal railway ne had initiated Lord Rosebery's
brilliant CONGRATULATIONS and talked pleasantly
about me mutual attractions exercised by COM
uunit4es having common origin, history. Ian
guage and love Of liberty. The loyalty OF the
colonies was real and earnest but they We're
not coFetlng The privilege Of being outvoted in
some Imperial representative body, they We're
NOT eager 10 pay the costs n taxes To- battle
SHIPS and fortthcations. and they shrank from
Federation as q scheme FOR decorating judges
nd oi1lcla-s with titles without arTning the self
governing commemorative OF the Empire with
effective political power Imperial Federation
seemed q problem as hopeless as the rnathenat-
ica4 puzzle II squaT1ng The circle. Mr. Chamber
IAN went back 10 his blue books about West
Afr1ca and 70 his original correspondence with
or Alfred Miner without a prenonition that
the greatest problem Of the Empire was 10 be
worked OUT under The storm and stress Of a
war II which mo hundred thousand Of the
queens soldiers we're 10 fight together in defence
or The Greater Britain.
For that IS what has come 70 pass. Imperial
Federation has not been reduced TO an orderly
system. nor have any approaches been made 70
i n legislation either Westminster or in the
c@lonies' but the way has been opened for the
government OF the empire by the people Of the
empire. and a public opinion of irresistible force
has been created in favor Of admitting the col
onlsJs 70 q large and steadily increasing share
N The conduct of Imperial affairs. The culon-
ISIS GIG not wait for q formal invitation from
ADWEllIg street 20 take Up arms for the defence