New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-30
BRITISH IMPERIALISM.

rotary Of State for the Colonies in the British
Cabinet we spoke of Mr.. Chamberlain as pre-
eminently the Imperial Minister, the ground
that the British Empire was chiefly 4 colonial
empire, and that therefore imperial ends were
chiefly TO be served by developing the re-
sources Of the colonies, conserving their in
terests and strengthening their union with the
mother country. In more than one particular
Mr.. Chamberlain has hitherto in his minis
terial career vindicated that conception Of his
functions. In his epoch marking speech in the
House of Commons on Thursday he did so in
a still more noteworthy degree. He then made
II evident that henceforth, if the country will
stand by him, he will make imperial interests
the dominant issue Of politics and the control
ling consideration OF administration, not only
in the empire at large. but in the United King
dom itself. The fiscal system Of Great Britain
will be adjusted in conformity, not with the
needs OF the British Isles alone but with the
needs Of those islands in relation 10 a globe
encircling empire OF which they are the in
tegraI nucleus. This declaration Of his we call
epoch marking because, whether it shall be
fulfilled in legislation or not 1t is the first
such that has been made by a responsible
British Minister since-we may say-the for
nation Of the empire. Before the repeal Of the
Corn laws and adoption Of free trade there
was no such thing as q British Empire in the
present sense Of the term. and there was no
thought Of shaping British legislation according
TO the interests Of the inchoate colonies then
existing. The adoption Of free trade was, OF
course, specifically an act Of Little England
ISM" and its maintenance since has been IN
fact a maintenance Of the Little England
policy Disraen, when Chancellor Of the Ex-
chequer ffty-one years ago, predicted that
all EAa 5r6A
dent, too, in few years. and are now a mill
"stone round our necks.'
Mr. Chamberlain proposes TO treat the col
onies as integral and permanent parts OF the
empire. and to legislate for the empire as
whole and not for merely part of it That,
It might be objected, is not altogether logical.
seeing that the chief colonies are self-governing
and are not represented in the Parliament at
Westminster. True, but II is quite conceivable
that his plan, when unfolded. will be found TO
provide for colonial representation at West
minister and participation in at least all leg1s-
lation that is imperial in scope. But even II
the latter should not be the case there is no
reason why Great Britain should not shape
her legislation with a view TO colonial interests.
She does now legislate for the colonies IN many
particulars, and conducts their foreign negotia-
tons for them. True, she lets them frame their
own tariffs. But since they are framing their
tariffs more and more with a view TO relation
ship with her there seems TO be no reason why
she should not do the same by arranging her
tariff system with a view to relationship with
them. She sees them becoming more and more
involved in tariff wars with alien countries,
and herself made more and more, as Mr.. Cham
balain APPLY expressed it the general dump
ing ground Of the worlds commerce. Certainly
il seems logical and rational that she should
decide to stand with them and have them
stand with her Il need be. against the rest Of
the world. OF course it would not be against
the rest Of the world In an extreme or exclu-
sfve sense. II she should adopt an outright
protective system. even, there Is no reason to
suppose her foreign trade would vanish For,
note the example OF the great Continental
powers. They are all highly protective, yet
they all have much commerce, each with the
others Protecti0nist Germany buys from pro-
tectionist Russia more than from any other
country in the world. Protecuonist Russia buys
from and sells 10 protectionist Germany more
than from and 10 any other land
1t is argued. in opposition 10 Mr.. Chamber
lain's intra-imperial trade scheme. that the