The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-04
IMPERIAL MILITARY DEFENCE
BLUE BOOK ON BRITISH COLO
NAL CONFERENCE.

No Decision Regarding Defsnces Owing
to Differences of Opinion Among the
Premiers- Colonies Urged TO Perfect
Their Military Forces--Lessons of the
Boer war-Freo Trade within the
Empire-Canada's Firm Stand.
London, Nov. 3.-The blue book on
the colonial conference says that owing
to differences of opinion among the diff
ferent colonies, no decision was reached
on the question Of imperial military
defences. Secretary Of War Brodrick,
in speech in which he urged the colo
nies to perfect their military forces, in
sisted that it would never do, in any
future war, to count on having an enc
my likely to enable Great Britain to
make up during hostilities the deficien-
cies found at the start He said that
the Beers had neglected at the begin
ming of the South African war many
and obvious opportunities and although
the home and colonial levies had i'm
proved enormously after few months
service, it would have been unfair to pit
them, in the condition in which they
were sent to South Africa, against Eu-
ropean troops. The whole present Or
ganization of the war office was direct
ed, said Mr.. Brodrick, towards being
able to strike quickly in defensive ac-
tion for any of the empires dependen-
cies
The resolution adopted on the sub
ject of preferential trade is the most in
teresting part of the report to America.
In that resolution the conference recog-
nizes the preferential trade between the
United Kingdom and the colonies would
stimulate and facilitate commerce and
strengthen the empire; that in the pres
ent circumstances Of the colonies it
would be practicable to adopt a general
system of free trade, that with a view
to promoting an increase of trade with
in the empire, however. 1t is desirable
that those colonies which have not al
ready adopted such policy should, as
far as their circumstances permit, give
substantial preferential treatment to
the products and manufactures of the
United Kingdom. Four premiers urge
an imperial grant to colonial products
and manufactures giving preferential
treatment in the United Kingdom for
exemption from or reduction of duties.
Five premiers present at the conference
undertake to submit to their respective
governments at the earliest opportunity
request that such measures may be
taken to give effect to the principle of
this resolution. A memorandum from
the president of the board of trade
shows that the presidents were prepar-
ed to give preferential treatment on
British goods as follows:
Canada, the existing preference of
33 1-3 per cent. and an additional pre-
ference on selected articles by reducing
duties in favor of the United Kingdom,
raising duties on foreign imports and
placing duties on certain foreign i'm
ports now free; New Zealand, 10 per
cent. all round reduction on present du-
ties on British goods; Cape Colony and
Natal, 25 per cent. preference on British
goods.
Australia was not in a position to de-
fine the extent Of the preference to be
given.
Another resolution emphasizes the de-
STABILITY of considering the refusing of
the privileges of the coasting trade, in
cluding trade between the United King
dom and the colonies and between the
colonies, to countries wherein CORE
spending trade is carried in ships of
their own nationality.
The conference also adopted resolu-
tions advocating the use Of the metric
system; the reservation by the govern
ment in future agreements of the right
to purchase cables and the insertion in
new shipping agreements of provisions
to prevent excessive freight charges or
any preference in favor of foreigners.
The radical attitude Of the Canadian