New-York tribune., 1903-07-05
cHAMBERLAIN'S CAUSE.
lord Miner Natural AHy-Mr.
BaIfour's attitude.

ai' 7.,,erialist. with an ardent faith in the
s',.tor of the estates Of q worldwide en-
80 with a practical knowledge OF finance
Pr .,o eseai system Of the United Kingdom.
a. - =, wont TO South Africa he had the repu-
:, bcing one Of the best educated and
-. o,,arienced men in the civil service. The
IL nbysician, he had been educated in
to' KINGS College, London, and finally
-, -o71are where he took high rank in clas-
.aroIarship He was a barrister of the
- - rramvle, and Mr.. Stead's right hand man
~ ~, .o,5uct Of The Pail Mall Gazette; but
4 '-.~ ..,+esting Harrow unsuccessfully in 1885
g. n-iyate secretary to Mr.. Goschen, Chan
- ,bs Exchequer. After an apprentice
= tuo years under one Of the greatest
- enauciers, he was Under Secretary for
-.--.a n Egypt for three years. and returned
= r-,e1snd for five years service as chairman
= az Roard Of Inland Revenue When he was
O Ia - High Commissioner for South Africa
- bs5 the equipment Of ten years practical
~ - :, financial administration. Preoccu-
- as he was with the anXieties and difncul-
- - british policy in South Africa, he had
- - for profound reflection upon the trend
I. -oliticai and fiscal tendencies in the empire
.,.. bs returned tc England for a long holiday
-. f-isn6s we're surprised to find that imperial
{ 1-..-atiop was the subject which upper
8 =, - his mind. He was not content with dis
q ls,.ng II as a glittering fancy, remote and in
s'-r,hIs &c slnlit cloud in the sky. It was not
5 -, that had fascinated and inspired his
E,-..5,a,ion 1t was a question of practical
,,,ics which he was prepared TO take up on its
As,.,c5sI side and to work out in detail.
Those who met Lord Miner during his last
.,s,, and heard him discuss with lucidity Of
,rs,d and constructive ability practical meas
rrss FOR carrying imperial federation into ef-
H.. are MOI AT loss to understand the revival
II, Mr.. Chamberlain's interest in the fiscal pol
f..as NJ 2 united empire. He had a congenial
r,rpanion on the ilIinitable veldt." Mr.. Cham
s.,lsin and Lord Miner were not preoccupied
with the details Of the South African settle
Sr,ept 10 The exclusion Of the larger and more
Fascinating problem Of imperial unity. Lord
t.rners friends here have no hesitation in cred
s,ing him with exerting great influence over Mr..
chamberlain in South Africa and with impart-
lng poyerful impulse to the Colonial SecTe-
i,a-zSs energies as a fiscal reformer for imperial
Iends. They also perceive the advantages which
Isi-. Chamberlain can derive in the early future
Lfora close cooperation with a trained financier
accustomed 10 dealing with the details of inland
revenue in the United Kingdom. well as with
hhe relations Of the mother country and its colo
4 hal dependencies They consider Lord Milner
& Is ardent and as progressive an Imperialist as
kIr Chamberlain himself and also as peculiarly
& lsquipped for working out stage by stage the
comprehensive policies outlined in the Brming-
ham speech. Consequently, they expect to see
them before many months colleagues in the
Cabinet Some Of these amateur Cabinet MAX
CTS are inclined to regard Mr.. Chamberlain as
the inevitable successor of Mr.. Ritchie as Chan
Ioelor OF the Exehequer, when the mysterious
processes Of inquiry now in progress are con-
lcluded and the government is reorganized for
bctive campaigning on behalf Of the business
Ipolicles Of the empire and they nominate Lord
4 Miner as the only statesman fully qualified for
4ca7rying on work at the Colonial Office. Other
friends expect the recall of Lord Miner from
South Africa to enter the Balfour Cabinet as
Chancellor Of the Exchequer. while Mr. Cham
herlain viii remain in the Colonial Office by
lis own preference. so as not TO interfere with
he Prime Minister'S ascendancy. All these
ingenious conjectures are premature; but it is
ardly credible that the active cooperation of
Lord Miner in working out the proposed fiscal
olicies for binding together the possessions of
ne empire will be dispensed with
Mr. Balfour's position is absolutely unintelli-
ibie on any other assumption than that OF full
cceptance Of responsibility for Mr.. Cham
ans policies. He has not been dragged
AZ IN intriguing and ambitious colleague
Elo an impossible plight Of Prime
I EliAsIer condemned to play second fiddle
nose Who persist in describing him as the
sipless dupe OF stronger will and superior
eTsonality forget that Mr.. Chamberlain him
p would have found it impracticable to obtain
4 nearing for his proposals without NIr Balfourss
49-0Deraffnn
! fraction Of the old Tories and new Conserva-
90 @ia another fraction of the Liberal I'm
mus Uul unless Mr.. BalfOur had acquiesced
MS policies and agreed TO present them TO
'He country, after due deliberation and prolonged
'oay OF The complex problem, there would have
eA 10 chance Of any approach to united ac-
Fi0a On the part Of the Unionists AS it is. no
oi's' Is called upon either to desert the Prime
l-nis'eF OF TO abandon the old party. The
sH''ieht is enabled TO remain in office, and.
Ilniess all signs fail. to round out the sese,or
- =" approach the great question of tariff re-
SoA ;er imperial defence and unity bv easy
sf eeS e0d oy well considered action. II Mr.
1SiloeTlsi:'s policies hold the field. If is he
use 1he Prime Minister stands with him. and
succeeded IN preventing the premature dis
'a''oh OF the government and the destruction
H 'Ie Uhonist party Otherwise he would have
III sN Sn ag.tatoT. Like Golden half a century
II - WIN q new party to create and a country
'sr' 70 new doctrines without the help
eA-Sllhg political organizations.
N ~F' balfour and Mr.. Chamberlain are
,-i' 10 move slowly, and they have no idea
r.. Diioges until they come to them.
- . year or two of deliberate prepara-
4 ss,.s .~usSion before the constituencies are
. Ueclde upon momentous changes Of
srs,s.,1- .o p0llcy' Whether they can prolong the
~ 80 stage when the free traders in
a. p,.1-. e' and outside are so outspoken as
- :, 5ls, ,- me Duke Of Devonshire. Lord RaI-
- uiielgh' Lord Goschen and Sir Michael
49, ,Ls1 1Th Is uncertain. Whether they can
g. ro+ s Ii'sh Land bill when the Nationalists
n0I satisfied with ntft ns 20 co