The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-31

LIKELY TO LOSE
Conservative Party Is Not a Unit
For Protection.
THERE is NO ENTHUSIASM
POLITICIANS VIEW THE PRO
PoSALS WITH DOUBT.

London, May 3O.-Sir Edward Grey
is the first of the liberal leaders to take
up Colonial Secretary Chamberlain's
challenge regarding imperial preferen-
tial tariffs. Addressing the Oxford
University Liberal league last night,
Sir Edward denounced Mr.. Cham ber-
lain's proposals on the ground that
they meant protection Mr. Chamber
lain, he said, played on the big trumpet,
while Premier BalfOur played the same
tune on the small flute, but il must not
be expected that there would be any
separation OF policy between the two.
Therefore the liberals must fight the
proposals with the utmost vigOr He
contended that the margin that Great
Britain could gain by preferential
trade with her colonies was compare
lively small and not worth the risk of
dislOcating the three-fourths of her
trade with the rest of the world.
No Enthusiasm.
Thus far the discussion on the ques-
ton reveals no extreme enthusiasm on
the part of the unionists for Mr.. Cham
berlain's scheme. although the ventila-
ton of the subject is eagerly welcomed.
The uniOnist Spectator points out the
coincidence that while Mr.. Chamber
lain is Offering old age pensions az the
compensation to the Workingman for
the loss he may sustain through the
preferential tariff, the vast pension list
Of the United States was largely ere
ated in order to get an excuse for a
high protective tariff. In the Specta-
tors opinion, if the colonial secretary
is foolish enough to force his proposals
TO an issue he viii shatter his party
as completely as Gladstone did the
liberal party with home rule. That
such rupture of the conservative
party viii occur is admitted among the
best Informed members Of the party.
At least four cabinet ministers are
said to be strongly opposed TO the
scheme, while Winston Churchill and
Lord Hugh Cecil, who are credited with
the intention of organizing an cpposi-
ton to Mr.. Chamberlain, claim to be
able to get thirty members Of conserv-
atives Of the house of commons in their
following. At Brooks club, the head
quarters Of the liberal unionist party,
it was stated that Mr.. Chamberlain
was determined to stand or fall by his
scheme and that if he failed to obtain
the cOuntry's support for it he would
retire from public life.
Viewed With Doubt.
The conservative politicians and
newspap ers in many cases view the
proposals with much doubt The Stand
ard, in its leading article, cOnfesses
that to fOregO any cOnsiderab bic part Of
the British trade with foreign cOun-
tries would be too precious a drawback
TO face for greater access to the CO.
lOnial markets and the other cOnseTv-
ative organs express grave doubts
whether the colonies viii ever be able
to supply all OF Great Britain's food
stuff requirements. 1t is also pointed
out that the case Of the United States
does not offer a fair comparison be-
cause the United States enjoys inter
nal free trade, while it is impossible
ever to hope for free trade between
Great Britain and her colonies There
is no doubt that Mr.. Chamberlain has
achieved one aim in securing public
fOrgetfulness of the governments mud
ding over the education bill the army
reform and other local matters, but he
has also opened such flood gates of
discussion that all parties viii be anx-
ious to appeal to the country at the
earliest possible moment in order -
arrive al a definite issue.