The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-08
HOW CHAMBFRLA|N'S
SCHEME is RECEIVED
Disposition Is to Treat 1t on Its
Merits and Not on Party
Lines.

LONDON, Oct 7.-While there is no
evidence of a rush on the part of the
opponents of public opinion or of the
electorate to give Joseph Chamberlain's
fiscal proposal immediate Endorsement,
there is ample proof of a desire eX-
haustively to examine his programme
and accept or reject it on its merits,
rather than on party lines. 1t is real
lied that the attitude of the colonies
is probably the most important factor
in his scheme and what they will say
to his statement that they are pre-
pared TO contribute towards imperial
preferential trade will largely deter
mine the ultimate decision of this coun-
try.
The critics of the former secretary
for the colonies claim that his whole
diagnosis of the present state of the
trade of the United Kingdom hangs on
a statistical blunder in the comparison
of the exports of 1902 with those of
1872. The latter year was VIGOROUSLY
phenomenal as an export year because
of the requirements Of Germany and
France after the war between those
two countries, and it is pointed out
that Great Britain furnished the great
bulk of these, and that her exports
consequently bounded up from $1,115,-
100000 in 1871 to $3.50, 900 600 in 1872.
after which they gradually receded to
the same total as in 1871. 1t is there
fore contended by the critics that the
whole fabric of Mr.. Chamberlain's ar
gument is based on an elementary err
ror, and that, while his fiscal arithme-
tic is illogical, his promises are hy-
pothecal and improved. 1t is anticipat-
ed that the colonies will resent Mr..
Chamberlain's suggestion that their
colonial manufacturing growth should
be thWarted for the benefit of British
manufacturers. On the whole, the for
mer colonial secretary's pronouncement
is not unfavorably received. On the
stock exchange the various depart
ments opened with a better all-round
tone. Consols hardened.
He Speaks Some More.
Mr.. Chamberlain tonight addressed
meeting of 1000 persons in the town
hall of Greenock, a seaport on the
Clyde, twenty-five miles from Glasgow.
He dealt particularly with the queS-
tons of retaliation and reciprocity. He
said that he was a free trader and
wanted to live tremendously with his
neighborS, but he desired free exchange
with all nations. If they would not
exchange he was not a free trader at
any price. He respected Our Amer
lean cousins" had considerable respect
for the Germans and great respect and
greater friendship for the French. The
policy of these nations was to use the
tariffs to ease the home trade and eX-
Guide foreign trade, while under the
present system in the United Kingdom
trade was steadily decreasing.
Mr.. Chamberlain asked why all pro-
tective nations prospered more than
the United Kingdom. If the Golden
ties could satisfactorily answer he
would ask to be allowed to hide his
diminished head. His occupation would
be gone.
10 4l,o 49,,
that he selected 1872, the greatest boom
year of British trade, as the basis of
his statistics. the speaker admitted
that the first twenty-five years of
Cobdens free trade was a f1ourishing
period, and free trade was then proba-
bly, best for the country. But he was
willing to take any period during the
last thirty years to illustrate his argu-
ments. Asking why the foreign pro-
tectIve countries, even small nations
like Sweden. had all prospered, he said
that he believed they were better
strategists than the British. Their pol
icy, as enunciated by the late Presi-
dent Mckinley and by the greatest of
Americans long before, namely, Lin
coin; by Bismarck and other distin-
guished statesmen, had a great deal
behind it. He continued:
L say that you are inconsistent.
You are adopting a suicidal course. If
you persist in the present policy your
workmen must either take lower wages
or lose their work.
Fears an Influx of Steel.
Mr.. Chamberlain referred to the enor-
nous output of the United States Steel
Corporation works and the diminishing
home demand in the United States for
steel. He contended that this steel
would be sent to Great Britain, the
only free market, and said:
I warn you that within two or three
years you will have dumped here TO-
100000 tons of American iron,s and
thousands of British workmen VIII lose
employment for the sole benefit of
american manufacturers and Ameri-
can Workmen. l sympathize with
American Workmen, but after all be-
long to England and I am not cosmo-
poltan enough to see the happiness
and prosperity of American workmen
secured by the starvation and misery
of the British
Concluding his general restatement
the speaker said that agriculture in
Great Britain was practically DESTROY
ed, the sugar trade was gone. the silk
trade was gone, the iron and wool in
dustries were threatened and the same
rate would come to the cotton trade
How long are you going to stand It
england Is not afraid of foreign coun-
tries. She is the greatest market in
the whole world, and foreign countries