The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-02
English Premier Makes Strong Address to an Immense Crowd
 on the Needed Changes
OTHER NATIONS GROWING
 STRONGER EVERY YEAR
While He Realizes Necessity for Re forms He VIII AIways Be In Fa- vor of Tariff for Rev.
 enue Only.

London, October 1.-Addressing mass meeting at Sheffield tonight, in connec- ton with the conference of the National Union of Conservative associations, Pre- mier Balfour delivered the speech which has been long heralded as the first heavy gun to be fired in the fiscal reform cam paign which is absorbing attention of the United Kingdom. her colonies, and, in- deed, the whole world, and which has caused the present British cabinet crisis. the result of which it is impossible to foretell.
 MT. Balfour did not even hint at the suc- cessors in the cabinet to Mir. Chamberlain, Lord George Hamilton and MT. Ritchie. He did not mention the ministerial resig- nations, ignoring altogether that phase of the situation. The premier confined him. self strictly to the tariff question, and his speech was to a large extent repe- tition of the arguments contained in his secret pamphlet.
 Fully 5000 Persons Gathered.
 Tonight's meeting was held in the ar- tillery drill hall. Fully 5000 persons gath cred In the hall, and as many more who were unable to get in attended an over flow meeting in Albert hall. Thousands who could not have been accommodated at either meeting stood outside in the rain joining those inside the halls in patriotic songs and cheering the party loudly.
 Mir. Bafour received an enthusiastic reception. He began with the statement that since he knew that the audience wanted to hear his views on fiscal re- form, he would deal with that subject alone.
 what is it?" the premier asked, that has brought this topic into exceptional prominence? There are those who would attribute the importance it has attained to that great speech delivered by a. great man. MT. Chamberlain in May last; hut something more Is required to account for a phenomenon, unparalleled in the experience of any man l am now ad- dressing"
 In Close Touch With Colonies.
 MT Balfour attributed this prominence to the fact that the country was in closer touch with the colonies as result Of the south African war. Also because that for a long time prior to the development of the present controversy there had been great uneasiness among all parties as to the condition of British trade In relation to the trade of the world. MT. Chamberlain's speech would not have had the effect it did if 1t had not fallen m urepared ground, and if Canada's ef- fort to give preference to the mother country had not brought out threats from at least one foreign country In retalia- ton This had brought home to many minds the helplessness of Great Britain under such circumstances to meet sit- nation so dangerous.
 The last sixty years, continued MT. Ralfour, had filled with refutations the prophecies made by the great tariff reformers. He believed that the reforms of 1s46 were necessary at that time, but every year of the last thirty years had contradlcted the prophecies of the re- formers.
 Pays Tribute to Golden.
 The premier paid a tribute to Golden who. he said. had an ideal, but he did not foresee the developments of the last half century. which had made free trade an empty name and a vain force. For fifty years England without making sign, had watched the wall of hostile tariffs growing up and dividing nation from nation.
 And our own colonies, our own flesh and blood, the very sinews of the growing empire" proceeded MT. Balfour "are building up one system of vested inter ests after another on protection, which, when 1t reaches its logical conclusion. will make it as hard to export to them as to America, or the other protective countries. And during the whole life time of those I am now addressing, we have done nothing whatever to hinder state of things absolutely inconsistent with free trade, as Golden understood 1t. l ought to make one exception. One great and successful effort was made by Golden himself when he negotiated commercial treaty with France in 1858. When I consider that treaty, ask myself whether Golden was indeed a Cobdente"
 He continued:
 Distinction Withou. Difference.
 q consider that there is absolutely no difference between retaining a tax for diplomatic purposes. which you would otherwise repeal and imposing a tax. which you would otherwise not impose for carrying out the same object I con- fess that when I hear criticisms on Am erican and German policy which caused those great industrial nations to accom- pany their marvellous commercial expan- sion with protective duties, which must have thrown a heavy burden on the I to which I at least have no reply. They may we'll say that although protection ist they have established permanent free trade within the limits of their own coun- try where everything which can ham, per production or limit the increase of wealth. has been abolished by their pa- triotism and foresight, and they may well ask us whether we in the British empire can point to a similar picture, and whether our vaunted free trade in- cludes those great self-governing colonies which we proudly boast are to be the great buttresses of our empire in the fu- \ ture.
 Free Trade an Empty Name. Free trade is indeed an empty name and a vain farce, if it Is a fact that for eign nations are settling themselves to divert our industries, exclude out manu- factures and limit the international play of supply and demand There has been development of which Golden and his contemporaries never dreamed, the devel- opment of the trust system under protec- xs-~ rha rbonor,1euon fs so new that I