Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-29
Premier Balfour Causes Sur
prise by His Support OF
Chamberlain's Scheme
FAvoRs PREFERENTIAL TARIFF
Would Practically Abandon EnsIand's
Traditional Policy of Free Trade
Notable Address in the House Of
commons-Tories Shocked at Stand
BaIfour Has Taken.

London, May 29.-Premier Balfour
has surprised the old tories and con-
servatives by coming out openly in sup
port of Chamberlain's scheme for the
practical abandonment of England's
trsdi tional policy of free trade, and a
preferential tariff agreement with the
British colonies.
In notable address IN the house of
commons the premier asserted that the
free trade theory had not worked out
as its champions predicted in 1916. He
declared that If England adhered to the
free trade policy the tiue would come
when Englands only neutral market
would be the Turkish empire. The EN-
pres only alternative. he said. was in
reciprocity with it's own colonies, and
this necessarily involved tax on food
and raw material.
Premier Balfour admitted that there
were objections to the abandonment OF
the traditional policy OF free trade, but
if Chamberlains plan, or some other
scheme, is not practicable, the empire
could not be brought to that stage of
fruition attained by the United States.
The premier's address in the house of
commons was made in reply to ques-
tons from Sir Charles Dixie, advanced
radical, who called attention to Cham
berlain's recent speeches in regard to a
preferential tariff between the colonies
and the empire. Sir Charles said he
would like to know If Chamberlain, in
advocating something In the nature of
protective tariff. spoke with the au-
thority of the financial department or
CT the whole cabinet.
Sir Charles went on to say that in re-
gard to preferential duties with Canada
the benefits that might accrue were still
problematical. He had examined the
speeches of the colonial secretary and
the policy they foreshadowed That
policy, he declared. had not been
thought out, and II presented to the
country would be universally con-
demned. as 1t had been in the times of
their grandfathers and fathers.
Premier Balfour said in reply that he
was not much in sympathy with the
honorable baronet. He deprecated the
waving of the ragged and moth -eaten
flag either on the side of protection or
free trade, in controversy which is
now removed as far as .he poles We're
asunder from that in which our fathers
engaged forty or fifty years ago. \
part of the speech of the honorable
baronet. the prime n1inister said, had
been devoted. not to the fiscal policy
CT the country. but for the less elevat-
ing object Of making mischief between
the colonial secretary and himself. Jfe
would fail to cheer that amiable effort
of the honorable gentleman.
The premier. continuing. asserted
that the position of the British islands
is entirely different from what 1t was
in 1916 or 1S47. 1t is different from
what the free traders supposed it would
be. They predicted that free trade
would become universal. but they We're
wrong. England is the only free trade
country in the world. and If the present
condition Of things continues, the
premier said, the time must come when
only neutral markets would
be the Turkish empire, the British pro-
tectorate and crown colonies and India.
would then be in position
where it would be Obliged to import a
large proportion of foodstuffs and raw
and would have to pay for
them by exports which they would find
extremely difficult to dispose of in any
but the countries he had described.
The conditions which now prevailed,
the prime minister said. were never an
and he would like to know
they were to be excluded from
by leaders Of thought in
this country. With respect to the nego-
tiations he would say that If foreign
countries were to be allowed TO treat
British colonies as foreign nations, En-
gland must be forced by patriotic mo-
tives and a regard for her colonies to
retaliate. Canada. New Zealand, Aus
tralia and India We're parts of the en-
pire, and it would be absurd for them
to be treated as separate aggregations
because they had been giveen self
If preference was to be given to i'm
ports for the benefit Of the colonies
they, in exchange, would mitigate the