The sun., 1903-05-16
Give UP BRITISH FREE TRADE.
CHAMBERLAIN MAKES STRONG
Plea FOR 4 NEW POLICY.
R.ciprocl,y With the Colonies His Idea
-On the Same Day Premier Balfour
Rejects Application for Retention Of
the Corn Duty-Empire's Danger.
sp,etdl Gable Dssp aieh to THR SUN.

chamberlain tonight made his first address
:. bis constituents at Birmingham since
,s returned from South Africa. He
launched into an earnest appeal for the
restoration Of cohesion in the Unionist
marty. which the electoral reverses OF the
INST wear had shown to be suffering
dsastrously from indecisive leadership.
He declared that on the imperial policy
n the next few years depended whether
the British Empire should stand together
as one free nation against the world or
should fall into separate States selfishly
seekng their own interests and losing the
advantages which unity alone could give.
II separation began with Irish home rule
,he Empire would dissolve into its COM
ponent atoms.
He asked the country to think what 1t
meant to England as a power and an in
Mrenoe AMONG the nations and to the trade
and commerce Of England II, when the
reputation Of the Colonies equalled or ex-
ceeded that Of England, they were still
united.
The fact that II England were in danger
the whole resources in men and money Of
the Colonies would be at the disposal OF
the mother country was something wonder
full to have achieved and was worth almost
any sacrifice.
he thought that South Africa should have
done more toward bearing the burden Of
tho war, but it was something to get that
principle accepted.
In regard to Great Britain's free trade
policy, Mr.. Chamberlain launched into
remarkable suggestion. advocating q de-
parture from the existing Interpretation OF
free trade. He proposed the establishment
OF preferential tariffs between the Colonies
and Great Britain. and was cordially In
dorsed by his audience. His main point
was that the present position Of affairs in
this respect was incongruous. and that a
new situation must be met by new policy.
He instanced Canada. which he described
as "the greatest and most prosperous OF
our self-governing Colonies at the present
time"
This Colony, he said. was now in the full
swing Of extraordinary prosperity, which
he hoped and believed would result in
great increase in it's population. strength
and Importance He recalled that Canada
in 1893 voluntarily offered Great Brita In
a preference OF is per cent. which it had
since increased to a3 l-ssper cent. and he
pointed out how British trade with Canada
has since grown.
Canada, he added. was now willing to 60
further, especially regarding goods In
which the British competed with foreigners,
IL Great Britain was willing to give her .
drawback or tax Of q shilling Per quarter
m grain. The Government had TO refuse
that otter ahecause the established fiscal
policy bound it to keep the British market
open for all the world.
oh xhA
their markets against Great Britain, the
latter could not offer any favor TO her own
children or make any difference between
those who treated her we'll and those who
treated her badly. That was the accepted
doctrine Of the FREQ traders. He himself
was free trader. but he doubted whether
the present Interpretation OF the term
was the true one. Continuing he said:
4 am no protectionist, but want to
discover II the true Interpretation Of free
trade is that 1t Is our only duty to buy IN
the cheapest market without regard to
whsther We can sell.
II that Is the theory Of free trade and It
finds acceptance here and elsewhere, then
you will lose the advantage OF the further
reduction Of duty which Canada oilers to
the manufacturers Of this country, and
you may lose a great deal more. because
the Minister Of Finance Of Canada told the
Canadian Parliament the other day that
il they are told definitely that the mother
country can do nothing for them In the way
Of reciprocity they must reconsider the
position and reconsider tho preferences
they have already given. Tho policy which
prevents us from offering an advantage 70
our Colonies prevents US from defending
them il attacked
we may well have supposed that an
agreement Of this kind by which Canada
does kindness to us was a matter Of family
agreement concerning nobody else. Un-
fortunately Germany thinks otherwise
Germany insists upon treating Canada as
though it were a separate country. and
has penalized Canada by additional duties
on Canadian goods. German newspapers
frankly explain that this is policy OF re-
prisal, and that it Is intended to deter other
Colonies from giving US the same ad-
vantage.
This policy OF dictation and interfer-
ence 10 justified by the belief that we are
80 welded to our fiscal system that We
cannot defend our Colonies. and that any
one OF them which attempts to establish
special relations with US will do 30 at It's
own risk ana mu6C D0 belt W OcoA eAic ~ uA'
OF foreign hostility.
That is putting us in rather humiliat-
ing position. II we allow It to prevail how
can we approach the Colonies with appeals
to aid us in promoting the honor OF the
empire or ask them to bear a share OF tho
common burdens?
is 1t better to cultivate the trade OF your
own people, or let that 60 in order that you
may keep the trade OF those who rightly
enough are your competitors and rivals:
That is the now position which the peo-
pie Of this empire have to consider. do
not want to hasten their decision. They
have two alternatives. They may main
tain in its severity the artificial and wrong
Interpretation which has been placed upon
the doctrine Of free trade by the small
remnant of Little Englanders,' who pro-
fess to be the sole repositories OF the doc
trines OF Golden and Bright.
-In that case they will be absolutely pre-
cuded either from giving preference or
favor to the Colonies abroad or from pro-
tecting the Colonies when they ofier favor
tous.
THE second alternative is that We must
INSIST that We will not be bound by any