The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04

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A Cense cd British Empire Versus
American Good Will.
All of the arguments put forward by
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN and his friends on
behalf Of a preferential tariff may be
resolved into two assertions: First, such
q tariff would tend to consolidate the
British Empire, because it would bind
the Colonies to the mother country by
the tic Of self-interest; secondly, it would
eventually make the mother country in
dependent of foreign purveyors in re-
spect Of it's grain supply. the whole OF
which could ultimately be secured from
tho Northwest Provinces of Canada.
The first assertion ia possibly well
founded, though there would BE- friction
when the mother country insisted upon
equivalent preferences from those colo
mics in which protected industries exist.
The second assertion is open to grave
doubt, and We believe it to be capable Of
demonstration that tho cheapest and
most effective way, of safeguarding the
United Kingdom against famine would
he found, not in an attempted CONSOLE
dalton of the British Empire but in con-
hrming and increasine the good will OF
tho United States.
It is certain that during the last dec
ade events have materially modified the
attitude Of the masses Of the American
people toward Great Britain. We have
in mind particularly three events with
the shaping Of which the late Lord SAILS
BURY and his nephew, Mr.. A. j. BALFoUE,
have had much to do. Lord SALISBURY
must be credited with an exemplary ex-
hibition of reimbursement, forbearance
and patriotic foresight when, instead Of
resenting Mr.: CLEvELAND's Venezuela
message, and allowing his country to
drift into war with the United States,
he retracted his previous refusal to refer
the boundary Of British Guiana to arbi-
tration. THAT was the act OF a man en-
tirely devoid Of pettiness, who cared
less for his personal dignity than for tho
actual and prospective interests Of the
nation whose trustee he was.
The determination then evinced to
conciliate the American people and to
substitute relations of cordial amity for
the distrust and bitterness excited by
the memories OF hundred years was
displayed in still more memorable
and impressive wal in 1888, the
head OF the British Government informed
certain Continental Powers that he
would not view with sympathy any at
tempt to interpose between the United
States and Spain By that act Lord
SALISBURY placed us under an obliga-
ton for which we are sincerely grateful;
and he rendered his countrymen a SER
vice the magnitude of which will doubt
less become. apparent as time goes on.
The third event to which we refer is the
enactment of the Irish Land Purchase
act, which, of course, though introduced
by Mr.. WYNDHAM, could not have been
passed without Mr.. BALroUR's hearty
approval. BY that salutary piece of
legislation, which naturally encourages
the hope Of additional concessions, the
anti-British luminosity of Irish National
lists and Irish Americans has been 80
sensibly allayed that one of the most
potent factors in maintaining the tradi-
tional American dislike of England is
tending to disappear. The concurrent
effect of these three events, il unchecked
by innovations in Great Britain's fiscal
policy calculated to injure American
interests, would be, in our judgment.
the evolution Of so much international
friendship that, should England find
herself involved in war with Continental
combination, as she was century ago,
the United States could be relied upon
to employ. its naval and military re-
sources for the maintenance of the rights
of neutrals, conspicuous among which
would be the right of continuing to fur
nish- Great Britain with the requisite
food supply.
This is all that Great Britain would
need. If she could, with a close ap-
proach to certainty, rely upon our taking
such stand she could with safety defy
the world in arms. She has no fear of
invasion: 1t is only starvation that she
breads. Starved abe never could be,
provided our good will, cooperating with
commercial self-interest, could be trust
ed to array us against the attempt, GER
tain to be made by England's enemies,
to make food contraband Of war.
Now, admitting the possibility that
some decades hence the Northwest
Provinces of the Canadian Dominion
might in peace times be able to supply
all the grain needed by England's popu-
lation, lot us see of what use the Cana
dian supply would be to Great Britain,
in the event of war with Continental
coalition. 1t is obvious that under such
circumstances very little, II any, Cana
dan wheat could reach England in
British bottoms, because the British
feet would be needed to defend England