New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-16
THE BRITISH TARIFF.
CH4MBERLAIN'S VIEWS.
Protection Likely To Be an Issue en-
Neat Election.

London NAV 15-Addressing his constituents
at Birmingham tonight the Colonial Secretary
Mr. Chamberlain, made an important speech
which seems to foreshadow the direct raising Oh
the question of free trade against protecuoh
at the next general election.
Mr.. Chamberlains unusual reticence ana MS
absence from Parliament and the political arena
since he returned from South Africa nave
caused considerable comment. as has also the
fact that he took no part In the heated as
cussion excited by Mr.. Ritchie's budget ana the
remission of the grain tax. In to-n1ghts pro-
nouncement, possibly, will be found an expiaia-
ton of this attitude; it at least shows Vali
ance Of opinion with the Premier's speech OF
to-day on the abolition of the grain duty
In the beginning Of his speech Mr.. Chamber
lain referred to his South African tour. and 10
his return home to find the minds OF the people
filed with local questions. He made light OF the
difficulties he had been told assailed the Unionist
party. For him these local questions were COM
paratiyely unimportant beside the great I'M
perialist policy upon which the fate of the emf
pire Overwhelmingly whether we stand TO-
gether one free nation against all the world OF
whether we shall fall into separate states'
selfshly seeking their own interests and losing
the advantages that unity alone can give
In a passing reference to home rule, Mt
Chamberlain said that If separation began with
home rule the Empire would dissolve into us
component atoms but If he could believe that
the Opposition party frankly had aoahooieo
home rule he would be the first to sing "Nunc
dimittis."
MAINTENANCE OF COLONIAL TRADE.
The Colonial Secretary proceeded strongly 10
urge the necessity. in order to preserve the
great eronire that the trade of the colonies
should be secured. Canada had offered excep-
tional ADVANTAGES he said. which Great Britain
did not dare accept because OF the narrow IN
terpretation of the doctrine of free trace Inc
policy of dictaton and interference py Iorelsh
mowers Mr. Chamberlain said he was 1usti-
fed by the belief that Great brilaih
WAS so welded to its fiscal system that
IT could not defend its colopies Ihls was
nosition not intended by pioneers Of free
trade who. If they were alive to-day wouio
agree to a treaty of preference and reciprocity
with the empires children The speaker SAID ne
believed that an entirely wrong Interpretation
had heen pIaced upon the doctrine of free trade
but that the country ought not to be bound py
this and il should not hesitate to resort TO re-
taliation, If necessary, wherever the 1h'eres'S
between the colonies and the home country were
threatened Mr.. Chamberlain avowed himsen
a free trader, but he objected to the artlnclal
and narrow Interpretation of free trade he
pointed out that Golden had made and that
a
France, and said:
There are two alternative before you; hrst.
to maintain the free trade policy IN all It's
severity. although it is repudiated by every
other nation and your colonies; second 10 N
sist that we be not bound by any purely teen
meal definition of free trade. While we seek
the one chief object, the free interchange Oh
commerce between ourselves and all the nations
Of the world we will nevertheless recover our
freedom, resume the power of negotiation and'
If necessary. of retaliation.
In conclusion the Colonial Secretary said ne
desired that the discussion of this subject should
be open It issue graver in its conse-
quences than mere local disputes. mistake in
legislation could be corrected. he said. but mis-
take in the imperial policy was irretrievabie
Personally he did not think general election
very near but. whether near or distant, the
issue would depend on whether the people nave
il in their hearts to do all that is necessary,
even If 1t occasionally went against their pre1u-
dIces to consolidate empire which could
only be maintained by relations of interest as
well as by relations of sentiment