New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-08
DANGERS OF FREE TRADE
Disaster Predicted for Britain Up1ex.
Policy Is CHANGED.

London. Oct. 1.-Consinujnr 81,
paign. Mr. Chamberlain to-nivh. -,
meeting of 1000 persons in ,ha -
Greenock. seaport on the CLYDE twen,,,-.r.o
miles from Glasgow He spoke for ona ho,,r "a
quarter and dealt particularly with tho o,,as-
tons Of retaliation and reciprocitv
The former Colonial Secre,ar,, eta a.. :.
was wee tIauei' ana wanted TO live harmoni-
ously with ~ neghbors but no 5es,r.d
change with all nations If they vr,,,,d -. =
change he was not a free trader ar . nv - ~
respected our American cousins - b.7 .,s
cradle respect for the Germans ana 60. :
spect and greater friendship for the t.re,,oh
The policy OF these nations was n ,,s. +,rirs, >.
ease the home trade and exclude foreign trade
while under the present system in the United
Kingdom trade was steadily decreasing
Mr.. Chamberlain asked why all protective ma
tons prospered more than the United Kingdom
II the Cobdenites could satisfactorily answer he
would ask to be allowed TO hide his diminished
head. His occupation would be gone
In replying TO the newspaper criticisr,s +,,.. =
selected 1872 the greatest year OF proportionate
increase in British trade. as the basis Of his
statistics, the speaker admitted that the arst
twenty-five years of Cobdan's free trade was a
fourishing period. and free trade was then
probably best for the country But he was
willing to take any period during the last thirty
years to illustrate his arguments
Asking why the foreign protective countries
even small nations like Swedel had all prospered.
he said that he believed they were better strate-
gists than the British Their policy. as enun-
ciated by the late President Mckinley and by
the greatest Of Americans long before. Lincoln;
by Bismarck and other distinguished statesmen
had great deal behind it. He continued:
l say that you are inconsistent You are
NJ don't Tnur dol
the present policy your workmen must either
take lower wages or lose their work
Mr.. Chamberlain referred 10 the enormous
output Of the United States Steel CORPORATE ton
works. and the diminishing home demand in
the United States for steel. owing to financial
difficulties, the reduction in railway construc-
ton, etc. He quoted from an American paper
an interview with director Of the Steel Cor
poration on the falling demand in which the
director declared that they had no intention of
diminishing the output and throwing out Of
employment thousands Of American workmen
Instead. they would invade foreign markets
Mr.. Chamberlain contended that this steel would
be sent 10 Great Britain. the only free market
and said
I warn you that within two or three years
you Will have dumped here 100000 tons Of
American iron. and thousands OF British work.
VIII lose employment for the sole benefit Of
men. sympathize with American workmen. but
after all, l belong to England. and / am not
cosmopolitan enough to see the happiness and
prosperity Of American workmeu- secured by
the starvation and misery Of the British.
Concluding his general restatement, the
speaker said that agriculture in Great Britain
practically destroyed, the sugar trade was
gone the silk trade was gone. the iron and
wool industries were threatened and the same
fate would come 10 the cotton trade. He con-
tinued
How long are you going 10 stand it? England
is not afraid OF foreign countries She is the
greatest market in the whole world. and for
eign countries her best customers. If a
tariff war came England would not come out
second best. One reason advanced for Amer
icas prosperity is her enormous population Of
10D9 600 but the British Empire has $1,000 go
all white and some 100000 of other races
all prospective customers OF the mother COUn-
try.
In conclusion. Mr. Chamberlain said that ne
trusted the people in this matter. He had been
told that he risking his political life, but he
had risked II before. and he had no fear for the
personal result.