Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-16
BALFOUR'S POLICY.
British Premier on Insular
 Free Trade
SAID TO VOICE CABINETS VIEWS
EnElnnd's Policy of Free Trade Is Made For "a World of Free Trad
 CTS and Not For Trade In World of Protectionists.

CTS and Not For Trade In a l l World of ProtectiOnists.
 LONDON, Sept. 16.-Prenaer Balfour has issued the advance sheets of a pamphlet on the subject of ''Insular Free Trade" i'll which he presents at length arguments in favor of a change in Great Britain's fiscal policy.
 MT. Balfour says his purpose in issu- ing it is that it would be impossible to put all the important points of this question within the limits of single speech, and therefore he says the pam phlet may be a fitting preliminary to the speech which he will shortly make. 1 This undoubtedly refers to the speech MT. Balfour will make at Sheffield. 1 He says he approaches the subject from the standpoint of free trader as far as contemporary circumstances will permit and continues:
 tI am a free trader, but not of the l pattern which holds that the doctrine | of free trade is so universal in its ap- | plication and so capable of an exact expression that every conclusion to which it logically leads must be ac- cepted without hesitation and without reserve"
 The arguments presented throughout the pamphlet vary little from those al- ready enunciated, but the premier points out that England's policy of retaining fiscal policy is made for q free trade country in a worldgsof free traders, not for free trade country in world of protectionists. The premier asserts that there is no reason to expect Britain to continue her present policy while Ger many, America, France, Russia and even Great Britain's self governing colonies continue to build up protected inter est within their borders.
 f MT. Balfour says the mistakes made by the free traders half century ago have left Great Britain bearing all the burdens and enjoying only half the ad- Tantages which should attach to the empire. He deyotes considerable space to the effect of protection upon conbi- nations in countries in which protec- ton exists. This, the premier points out, is to the disadvantage of the Brit ish manufacturers, who will have to compete with the manufacturer who is able to sell abroad at lower price than he charges for the same article at home. He gives an instance, of German steel in this particular, saying that it is selling cheaper in England than the English manufacturer can possibly pro- duce it.
 MT. Balfour's pamphlet is reprint Of notes which he has circulated among his colleagues in the cabinet and now he thinks they might interest a larger circle than for which they were origi- nally written. The publication of the pamphlet immediately after the mo- mentous cabinet council indicates that it embodies a statement of policy ac- cepted, or, rather, acquiesced in, by the majority of the cabinet If this as- sumption is correct it means the aban- donment of the idea of a preferential tariff with the colonies and the taxa ton of food in favor of a system of re taliatory duties.
 In short, the great question of free trade versus protection so far as the cabinet is concerned is still undecided. What will be Colonial Secretary Cham berlain's attitude? is the burning ques- ] ton of the moment The most striking feature of MT. Balfour's pamphlet is that from the beginning to the end it does not refer to MT. Chamberlatn's pr~oosals. The whole line of MT. Bal four's reasoning is opposed to tariffs for purely protectionist purposes; hence | Mir. Chamberlain is faced with the al- formative of either abandoning prefer ential tariffs or prosecuting. his cam {! paign unsupported by MT. Balfour. I MT. Balfour does not admit that 1 Great Britain's trade is on the verge of ruin He says: Judged by all availa- ble tests, both the total wealth and the diffused we'll being of the country are greater than they have ever been. We are not only rich and prosperous in ap- pearance, but also, I believe, in reality. I can find no evidence that we are Ey- ing on our capital
 l Mckinley Died on Anniversary. NyN AE